forceps

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈfɔr.kɛps]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈfɔr.t͡ʃeps]^[1]

Forms

forceps m (genitive forcipis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

Festus explains it as formucapes, “that which takes hot things”, from formus “hot” and capiō “to take”, and the OLD, the TLL and Köbler follow this.^[2][3][4] De Vaan finds the formation artificial and thinks that word may be a folk etymology.^[5] It has the same meaning as forfex “shears”, and one is often taken to be a metathesis of the other.^[5][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Cato, who uses it of a pincer formation of troops.^[5][2] Köbler dates Cato 234–149 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It was a pair of tongs, especially a smith's tongs for handling hot iron, as the Cyclopes turn the iron with gripping tongs in Virgil.^[2] It was also the pincer or claw of a crab, a pincer formation of troops, and pincers for lifting stones.^[2][6]

In medieval Latin it could be a bird's beak, scissors or shears.^[7][8] English forceps was borrowed as a surgeon's instrument in the 1560s.^[9]

Timeline

• 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of a pincer formation.^[2][4]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil has the Cyclopes turn iron with tongs.^[2][4]
• 1560s – English forceps is recorded.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. Tongs, pincers.^[2]
2. A claw (of a crab).^[2]
3. (military) A pincer formation.^[2]
4. (Medieval Latin) Shears; a bird's beak.^[8][7]

Related words

• forfex
• formus
• English forceps

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ a b Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com