haedus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈhae̯.dʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈɛː.dus]^[1]

Forms

haedus m (genitive haedī); second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *χaido-.^[2][1] Its only sure cognate is Germanic, Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌹𐍄𐍃 (gaits), Old High German geiz and English goat.^[2][3][1] Since the word is so restricted and cannot be derived from a known root, de Vaan takes it as a borrowing of a word *gʰaid- “goat”.^[2] Varro gives the dialect forms ēdus and Sabine fēdus, like fircus for hircus.^[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Plautus.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant a young goat, a kid, and collectively kid's meat, as Cicero's farm that abounds in kid.^[3][6] The plural Haedī were two stars in Auriga, the Kids, whose rising brought rain, as Virgil's pluviālēs haedī.^[3]

In Christian Latin the goats on the left hand at the Last Judgement were haedī.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.^[2][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero names the Kids among the stars.^[3][5]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil speaks of the rainy Kids.^[3][5]

Meanings

Noun

1. A young goat, kid.^[3]
2. (astronomy) (plural) The Kids, two stars in Auriga.^[3]

Word family

• haedilia
• haedilla
• haedillus
• haedīnus
• haedulus

Related words

• hircus
• caper
• English goat

References

1. ^ a b c d e 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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ 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