hiberna

Forms

hīberna n pl (genitive hībernōrum); second declension^[1] It is also used in the singular.^[2]

Etymology

It is the neuter plural of hībernus (“of winter”), used as a noun, short for ⟨castra hīberna⟩ “winter camp”.^[2][1] De Vaan derives ⟨hībernus⟩ from ⟨*heimrinos⟩, from the noun hiems (“winter”), Proto-Italic *χiem-, Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰéyōm (“winter”), cognate with Ancient Greek χειμών (kheimṓn, “winter”), Sanskrit हिम (himá-, “cold, frost”) and Old Irish gaim (“winter”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Varro, in his Res rusticae: places on the plain are better for wintering (hīberna).^[2] Köbler's first source is Caesar.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It is the time spent wintering, and especially, in military use, a winter camp or winter quarters: Varro explains that what the army called hīberna was named from hiems.^[2] Caesar uses it constantly of the legions' winter quarters.^[4][5] It was also used of winter shelter for livestock and of winter rooms in a house, as Cicero says the smaller baths could be turned into winter apartments.^[2]

Timeline

• 116–27 BC – Varro of wintering and of winter quarters.^[2][4]
• c. 50 BC – Caesar of the army's winter quarters.^[4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero of winter rooms.^[2][4]

Meanings

Noun

1. (plural) The time spent wintering.^[2]
2. (military) winter quarters, a winter camp.^[2][1]
3. Winter shelter (for cattle); winter rooms (of a house).^[2]

Related words

• hībernus
• hiems
• hībernō

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press