futis

Forms

fūtis f (genitive fūtis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

The origin is uncertain.^[2][1] The OLD and the TLL compare fundō¹ (“to pour”).^[3][4] De Vaan considers that it could continue the root of ⟨fundō⟩ without its ⟨d⟩, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰeu-ti-, but notes that the meaning does not fit well, since fūtis is not an abstract noun, and that it is found only in Varro.^[2] Wiktionary likewise proposes Proto-Italic *houtis and compares Faliscan ⟨huti[c]ilom⟩, “a small pitcher”.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Varro records it as the name of a water vessel, explaining that it was used to pour water brought into the dining room.^[3][5][4]

Semantic evolution

The word is known only from Varro's explanation and the glossaries.^[4][2] Lewis and Short compare fūtilis, “leaky”.^[5]

Timeline

• 116–27 BC – Varro explains fūtis as a water vessel.^[3][6]

Meanings

Noun

1. A water vessel, a pitcher for pouring water at table.^[3][5]

Related words

• fundō¹
• fūtilis

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b c d Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
5. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de