Etymologically
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liquor

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liquor1 flow, melt

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈliː.kʷɔr][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈliː.kʷor][1]

Forms

līquor (present infinitive līquī or līquier); third conjugation, deponent, no passive, no perfect or supine stems[1]

Etymology

The deponent verb belongs with the stative liqueō “to be liquid” and liquō “to melt”, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wleykʷ-, a present *wleykʷti.[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus has “at once the property slips away and melts”.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

It meant to become liquid or melt, as Virgil's snow melting on the hills and Ovid's ice, and in poetry to dissolve into tears.[2][4] Of fluids it meant to flow or run, as Virgil's rivers flowing from high rocks, drops of dark blood and sweat streaming over the body.[2][3] Cicero uses it of a style that flows calmly.[2] Figuratively it meant to waste away, as Lucretius' age that declines for the worse.[2][5] The present participle liquēns meant “flowing, liquid”.[4]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus, of property melting away.[2][3]
  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius, of declining age.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero, of a calmly flowing style.[2]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil, of melting snow and flowing blood.[2][4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To become liquid, melt, dissolve.[2][4]
  2. To flow, run, trickle.[2][3]
  3. (figurative) To waste away, languish.[2][5]

Word family

  • liquēns

liquor2 liquid

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈlɪ.kʷɔr][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈliː.kʷor][1]

Forms

liquor m (genitive liquōris); third declension[1] Lucretius has a long first syllable.[2]

Etymology

It is from liqueō “to be liquid” with the suffix -or.[2][1][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, of a liquid.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[7]

Semantic evolution

It meant a liquid, a fluid, as in Plautus, and in Cicero fluidity; it was also used of the clearness of water.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant a liquid.[8] British Medieval Latin used it for liquidity and for a liquid, and Serlo of Wilton contrasted lĭquor “fluid” with līquor “I flow”.[9] It survives in Italian liquore, French liqueur and Spanish licor, and through Old French it gave English liquor about 1200, any liquid.[1][6]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of a liquid.[2][7]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of fluidity.[2][7]
  • c. 1200 – English liquor is recorded.[6]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Fluidity.[2]
  2. A liquid, fluid, liquor.[2]
  3. Clearness.[2]

Word family

  • illiquor

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b c d Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  5. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  7. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  8. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  9. ^ 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