lena

Forms

lēna f (genitive lēnae); first declension^[1]

Etymology

The OLD and Wiktionary derive it from lēnō (“pimp”), as its feminine.^[2][1] The TLL calls the origin uncertain, and reports a grammarian who derived it from lēniō (“to soothe”).^[3] De Vaan rejects the view of Walde–Hofmann and Leumann that ⟨lēna⟩ is the older word; he suggests that both may be remade from an n-stem *leh₁-ōn "one who lets", perhaps the source of lēnis (“gentle”) as well.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan and Köbler date it from Plautus, who in the Persa declares all bawds untrustworthy.^[4][5][6]

Semantic evolution

It is a procuress or brothel-keeper.^[2] Ulpian defines lēnae as women who prostitute women for money, including a woman who runs the trade in someone else's name.^[6][3] Lewis & Short find it in Plautus' Truculentus and Asinaria too.^[6]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of untrustworthy bawds.^[6][4][5]
• before 223 AD – Ulpian defines the word.^[6][3][5]

Meanings

Noun

1. A procuress, bawd, brothel-keeper; a seductress.^[2][6][1]

Related words

• lēnō
• lēnōcinium

Usage notes

The TLL and Niermeyer treat a second lena as a spelling of laena, a cloak.^[3][7]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b c d e f Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill