luna

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈɫuː.na]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈluː.na]^[1]

Forms

lūna f (genitive lūnae); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *louksnā-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *lówksneh₂ (“the shining one”), from the root *lewk- (“light”).^[2][1] The Praenestine form losna preserves the cluster.^[3][4] De Vaan takes the source to be an adjective meaning “bright”, probably already used as an epithet of the moon in Proto-Indo-European; the same base is in lūmen and lūstrum.^[2][4]

Cognate with Old Church Slavonic луна (luna, “moon”), Old Prussian lauxnos (“stars”), Middle Irish luan (“moon”), Avestan raoxšna- (“light”) and Ancient Greek λύχνος (lúkhnos, “lamp”).^[2][4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Plautus onwards, with the older form losna at Praeneste.^[2] Ennius has it for the moon blocking the sun in an eclipse.^[3]

Semantic evolution

Besides the moon itself, the word meant moonlight and the moon goddess, identified with Diana.^[3] Because of its cycle it was used to reckon days after the new moon (luna prima, luna secunda) and, by poets and Pliny the Elder, for a month.^[3][6] It named a crescent-shaped object, especially the ivory crescent worn on senators' shoes.^[3]

Ancient authors explained the name from lūcēre “to shine”.^[4] In medieval Latin dies lunae was Monday,^[7] and alchemists used luna for silver.^[1][8]

Timeline

• 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of an eclipse.^[3][9]
• 234–149 BC – Cato advises felling timber when the moon is waning.^[3][9]
• 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus calls Diana Luna for her borrowed light.^[3][9]
• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses it for a lunar month.^[3][9]
• Middle Ages – dies lunae means Monday.^[7]
• late 14th century – English borrows it as English luna, the moon goddess and the alchemists' name for silver.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. The moon, with ad lunam meaning “by moonlight”.^[3][6]
2. Moonlight.^[3]
3. The moon goddess.^[3]
4. The moon's monthly cycle, as in luna prima, luna secunda for the first, second day after the new moon.^[3][6]
5. (poetic) A month.^[6]
6. A crescent, especially the one worn on senators' shoes.^[3]
7. (Medieval Latin) dies lunae: Monday.^[7]

Word family

• illūnis
• illūnius
• interlunis
• lūnāris
• lūnāticus
• lūnō
• lūnula
• novilūnium
• plēnilūnium
• interlūnium

Related words

• noctilūca
• lūcus
• lūx
• English lunatic
• English lunar

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d 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 g h i j k l m n Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c d Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
5. ^ Pokorny, Julius (1959), Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Bern; Munich: Francke
6. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
9. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de