lacrima

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈɫa.krɪ.ma]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈlaː.kri.ma]^[1]

Forms

lacrima f (genitive lacrimae); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Old Latin ⟨dacrima⟩, ⟨dacruma⟩, which Festus reports was frequent in Livius Andronicus, perhaps from Proto-Italic *d(r)(k)akrunā, from Proto-Indo-European *dáḱru- (“tear”).^[1][2] The change of ⟨d⟩ to ⟨l⟩ is as in lingua.^[1] Cognate with Ancient Greek δάκρυ (dákru, “tear”), Gothic 𐍄𐌰𐌲𐍂 (tagr) and Old English tēar.^[3][4] The OLD takes it as probably borrowed from Ancient Greek δάκρυμα (dákruma), but the TLL doubts that Latin would borrow a mostly poetic Greek word for so common a thing.^[4][3] It is also spelled ⟨lacruma⟩, and ⟨lachryma⟩ in an inscription.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first source is Livius Andronicus, whom he dates 280/260–before 200 BC.^[5] The OLD's earliest citation for a tear is from Ennius.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant a tear, usually in the plural, as lacrimās effundere “to shed tears”, and the proverb nihil lacrimā citius ārēscit “nothing dries faster than a tear” is in the Rhetorica ad Herennium.^[4][6] In the plural it meant weeping, and in Catullus a lament.^[4] From Virgil it was also used of drops of juice or gum oozing from plants, and of quicksilver from ore.^[4]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant a tear.^[7] British Medieval Latin had vallis lacrimārum “vale of tears”, from the Psalms, and lacrimae siccae “crocodile tears”.^[8] It survives in Italian lacrima, Spanish lágrima, French larme and Romanian lacrimă.^[1]

Timeline

• 280/260–before 200 BC – Livius Andronicus has the old form dacrima.^[5][2]
• 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of tears.^[4][5]
• 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus uses it of a lament.^[4][5]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of plant juice.^[4][5]

Meanings

Noun

1. A tear.^[4]
2. (plural) Weeping; a lament.^[4]
3. A drop of juice or gum from a plant.^[4]

Word family

• lacrimōsus
• lacrimula
• lacrimābilis
• lacrimābundus
• lacrimālis
• lacrimātiō
• lacrimō
• lacrimōsē

Related words

• English tear
• English lachrymose

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
5. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
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