helvus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈhɛɫ.wʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈɛl.vus]^[1]

Forms

helvus (feminine helva, neuter helvum); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

De Vaan derives it from Proto-Italic *χeliwo-, Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃-i-wo- (“yellow, green”), an i-stem adjective as in Sanskrit हरि (hári, “yellow, greenish”), extended with *-wo- as in other colour words.^[2][1] Cognate with Ancient Greek χλωρός (khlōrós, “pale green”), Lithuanian žel̃vas (“greenish”) and Old High German gelo (“yellow”).^[2][3] Leumann and Sihler reconstruct *ǵʰelswo-, and the OLD *ǵʰelwos.^[2][3] Meiser and Rix suggest it was borrowed from a Sabellic dialect, since a native word should have ⟨u⟩ before velar /l/, and Wiktionary calls the etymology disputed.^[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Varro, who uses it of the colour of cows.^[2][4] Köbler dates Varro 116–27 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant dull yellow, dun, light bay, a colour of cattle that Festus places between red and white.^[3][4] Columella uses it of a vine.^[6] Döderlein groups it with gilvus as a faint reddish yellow like honey.^[7] Its derivatives helvolus and helvius were names of a grape and wine.^[2]

In Medieval Latin it was a dull yellow, grey or brown.^[8]

Timeline

• 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of the colour of cows.^[4][5]
• 1st century AD – Columella uses it.^[6][5]
• 2nd century AD – Festus defines the colour.^[4][5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Dull yellow, dun, light bay.^[3][4]

Related words

• holus
• gilvus

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f 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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
8. ^ 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