Etymologically
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fuscus

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈfʊs.kʊs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈfus.kus][1]

Forms

fuscus (feminine fusca, neuter fuscum); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *fusko-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *dʰus-ko- (“dark-coloured”).[2] De Vaan notes that the suffix ⟨-ko-⟩ marked physical traits of people, as in cascus and mancus;[2] Ernout and Meillet therefore think it was first said of people, unlike furvus.[2] The OLD compares Old English dox (“fawn-coloured”) and English dusk.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Varro.[2] Varro describes a foal's dark mane.[3][4] Köbler dates it from Cicero.[4]

Semantic evolution

It is dark, dusky: Cicero calls a cheap purple almost dark.[5] Of people it is dark-skinned, swarthy, as Virgil's Amyntas, and Tibullus has dark men scorched by India's sun.[3][5] Martial uses it of a dim room, and Cicero of a husky voice.[3] Apuleius has it of menial, drab work.[3] Church Latin glosses it black, and in medieval Latin it is used as a noun for a man of colour.[6][7]

Timeline

  • 116–27 BC – Varro of a foal's mane.[3][2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of a dark purple and of a husky voice.[5][3][4]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil of a swarthy man.[3][4]
  • 40–102/103 AD – Martial of a dim room.[3][4]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Dark, dusky, sombre; of people, dark-skinned, swarthy.[3][5][1][6]
  2. Ill-lit, dim.[3]
  3. Of the voice, husky, hoarse.[3][1]
  4. Lowly, menial, drab.[3]

Word family

  • fuscitās
  • fuscō
  • infuscus
  • subfuscus
  • furvus
  • English dusk

Usage notes

As a surname, Fuscus was borne by Aristius Fuscus, a friend of Horace.[5][1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill