helluor

Forms

helluor (present infinitive helluārī, perfect active helluātus sum); first conjugation, deponent^[1] The OLD also records the spelling elluor,^[2] and Lewis & Short and Georges give hēluor.^[3][4]

Etymology

The OLD takes it from helluō (“glutton, squanderer”).^[2] De Vaan argues the reverse: although the noun is attested earlier, it is probably derived from the verb, which itself suggests an older noun or adjective meaning something like “luxury” or “spendthrift”.^[5][1] He reconstructs Proto-Italic *χelsVwo-, which has no convincing etymology.^[5] Because the initial ⟨h⟩ seems secure, he rejects Walde and Hofmann's derivation from ⟨ē-luō⟩ “to bathe abundantly”;^[5] Knobloch's link with Umbrian felsva (“banquet, ceremonial meal”) fails because Umbrian /f/ does not normally continue PIE /gʰ/.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Catullus and Cicero are the first to use it;^[4][6] Cicero says that someone was already feasting with Greeks in the theatre's gallery.^[3][4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to spend immoderately on food and other luxuries, to gorge or squander.^[2][3] Lewis & Short call it a Ciceronian word.^[3] Cicero also used it figuratively, of devouring books, with an apology for the word, and of a profligate who gorged himself on the blood of the state.^[3][4] Gellius speaks of squandering inheritances.^[4] Glossaries explain it as eating greedily.^[6]

Timeline

• 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus uses it of squandering.^[4][7]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of feasting and, figuratively, of devouring books.^[3][4][7]
• c. 165 AD – Gellius uses it of squandering inheritances.^[4][7]

Meanings

Verb

1. To spend immoderately on eating and other luxuries; to gormandize, squander.^[2][3]
2. (figurative) To devour, feast on (books, the state's blood).^[3][4]

Word family

• helluātiō

Related words

• helluō

Usage notes

Gellius reports that older writers inserted ⟨h⟩ into words such as this one to give their sound more vigour.^[6]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g h Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
5. ^ 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
6. ^ a b c Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
7. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de