laurus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈɫau̯.rʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈlaːu̯.rus]^[1]

Forms

laurus f (genitive laurī); second declension^[1]

Etymology

Its origin is unknown, and the TLL says it is surely a foreign word.^[2][3] Köbler takes it as a borrowing from an unknown Aegean or Anatolian language, and Wiktionary and Etymonline relate it to Ancient Greek δάφνη (dáphnē, “laurel”), probably from such a source.^[4][1][5] Wiktionary names an Old Latin form ⟨dacrus⟩.^[1] The DÉRom reconstructs Proto-Romance ⟨*/ˈlaur-u/⟩.^[6] Fourth-declension forms such as ⟨laurūs⟩ and ⟨laurū⟩ are frequent.^[2][7] Isidore and Servius derived it from laus “praise”, since victors were crowned with it.^[8][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, of the laurel tree.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant the laurel or bay tree, as in Plautus, Virgil and Horace, and in Celsus its leaves used in medicine.^[2][9] A sprig of laurel was used in rites, in Virgil, as a festive decoration, in Tacitus, and as the sign of victory and triumph, as in Cicero, and was the emblem of Apollo and of poets, in Ovid.^[2] In Martial it meant a victory, a triumph.^[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant the laurel or bay tree.^[10] British Medieval Latin used its leaves as medicine and as a symbol of victory.^[11] It survives in Italian lauro and alloro, French laurier and Portuguese louro, and Old French laurier gave English laurel in the mid-14th century.^[1][6][5]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of the laurel tree.^[2][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of a triumph.^[2][4]
• 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid uses it of Apollo's emblem.^[2][4]
• mid-14th century – English laurel is recorded.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. The laurel, bay tree; its leaves.^[2]
2. A laurel sprig, in rites, as decoration, for triumphs, as Apollo's emblem.^[2]
3. A victory, triumph.^[2]

Word family

• laurāgō
• laurētum
• laureus
• lauricomus
• laurifer
• lauriger
• laurīnus
• lauripotēns

Related words

• laurea
• laureātus
• laureola
• English laurel
• English laureate

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University 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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ a b Buchi, Éva; Schweickard, Wolfgang, eds. (2008–), Dictionnaire Étymologique Roman (DÉRom), Nancy: ATILF, http://www.atilf.fr/DERom
7. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
8. ^ Isidore of Seville, Etymologiarum sive Originum libri XX, ed. W. M. Lindsay (Oxford, 1911).
9. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
10. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
11. ^ 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