lamentum

Forms

lāmentum n (genitive lāmentī); second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Indo-European *leh₂-mn-to- (“howling, crying”), a formation de Vaan derives from a verb meaning “to wail”.^[2] The OLD likewise analyses it as a root ⟨la-⟩ with the suffix -mentum.^[3] Since Latin ⟨lām-⟩ could also continue an older ⟨lasm-⟩, Schrijver allowed a connection with Proto-Indo-European *leh₁- (“to wail, weep”) as well as with *leh₂- (“to bark, howl”); de Vaan prefers the second, because nothing points to an ⟨s⟩ in the word.^[2] The same root gave lātrāre “to bark”.^[2][3]

Cognate with Sanskrit रायति (rā́yati, “barks”) and Lithuanian lóti (“to bark, scold”).^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan finds it from Lucretius on,^[2] in the sense of wailing and loud weeping.^[4]

Semantic evolution

In Classical Latin it is found only in the plural,^[4] for the cries and laments of mourners: Cicero speaks of giving oneself over lamentis lacrimisque, to laments and tears.^[4][5] The singular appears in the Vulgate.^[6] Italian lamento continues it, a form Conte traces to Late Latin.^[5]

Timeline

• 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses the plural for wailing.^[2][4][7]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero pairs lamenta with tears.^[4][7]
• 390–406 AD – The Vulgate uses the singular.^[6][7]

Meanings

Noun

1. (usually plural) Wailing, weeping, lamentation.^[3][4]
2. A lament.^[4][8]

Word family

• lāmentārius
• lāmentor
• lāmentō

Related words

• English lament

Usage notes

The OLD heads the word in the plural, lāmenta, -ōrum.^[3] A feminine lāmenta occurs in Pacuvius,^[2] which the OLD treats as a variant.^[3]

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g 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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c d e f g Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
6. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
7. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
8. ^ Bianchi, Rossella; Lelli, Olga (2014), VOLI: Vocabolario di latino, Florence: Le Monnier