Etymologically
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grundio

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈɡrʊn.di.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈɡrun.di.o][1]

Forms

grundiō (present infinitive grundīre, perfect active grundīvī or grundiī, supine grundītum); fourth conjugation, no passive[1] The later form is grunniō.[2][3]

Etymology

It is probably onomatopoeic, from a sound *g(h)ru(n)-, with the suffix -īre of other verbs of sound such as hinniō “to neigh”.[3][2] It may or may not be related to similar words in Greek and Germanic, such as Ancient Greek γρύζω (grúzō, “to grunt”) and Old English grunnian (“to grunt”).[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Caecilius, whose wretched man grunted with a bloody mouth.[3][2] Köbler dates Caecilius 230/220–168 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to grunt, especially of pigs, and of persons.[2] The later form is grunniō.[3][2] The TLL thinks ⟨-nd-⟩ is the older spelling, and the Appendix Probi still prescribes grundio, not grunnio, a sign that /nd/ was becoming /nn/ in speech.[4][6]

Timeline

  • 230/220–168 BC – Caecilius uses it of a man.[2][5]
  • 106–43 BC – Laberius uses it.[2][5]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To grunt.[2]

Word family

  • dēgrunniō
  • grundītus
  • suggrunnio

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ 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
  4. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Appendix Probi, a late antique list of correct and censured Latin word forms ("calida non calda"); ed. H. Keil, Grammatici Latini IV, Leipzig 1864, 197–199.