grus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈɡruːs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈɡrus]^[1]

Forms

grūs f or m (genitive gruis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *grū-, from a Proto-Indo-European u-stem Proto-Indo-European *ǵr̥h₂-u- (“crane”).^[2][1] De Vaan explains the Latin form by metathesis of *ǵruh₂- in a nominative *ǵrh₂-u-s.^[2] The root is imitative of the bird's cry, as in Proto-Indo-European *ger- (“to cry hoarsely”).^[3][4][1]

Cognate with Ancient Greek γέρανος (géranos), Welsh garan, Lithuanian gérvė, Old East Slavic жеравль (žeravlĭ) and Old English cran, all meaning “crane”.^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan and Köbler date it from Lucilius, in the late 2nd century BC,^[2][5] who says someone is “taller than a crane”.^[3]

Semantic evolution

It named the crane, whose V-shaped flight and migration across the sea Cicero describes,^[3] and which Horace and Aulus Gellius mention as a delicacy.^[6] From the shape of the bird's bill, Vitruvius uses it for a siege engine also called corvus.^[3][7]

The word is usually feminine, but Laberius and Horace use it as a masculine,^[3] and a nominative gruis appears in Phaedrus.^[3][7]

Timeline

• c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius uses it for the crane.^[3][5]
• 96–55 BC – Lucretius mentions the cry of cranes.^[3][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero describes the triangular formation of migrating cranes.^[3][5]
• 1st century BC – Vitruvius names a siege engine grus.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. A crane (the bird).^[3][6]
2. A kind of siege engine, also called corvus.^[3][6]

Word family

• gruō

Related words

• English crane

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d 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. ^ Pokorny, Julius (1959), Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Bern; Munich: Francke
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn