Etymologically
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haedus

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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

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