monile

Forms

monīle n (genitive monīlis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is a derivative of Proto-Italic *monjo- (“neck”), from Proto-Indo-European *mon-i- (“neck”), with the suffix ⟨-īle⟩.^[2][3][4] De Vaan notes that it can be formed directly from an i-stem ⟨*moni-⟩ "neck".^[2] Cognates include Old Irish muin (“upper back, neck”), Sanskrit मन्या (mányā-, “neck”) and Sanskrit मणि (maṇí-, “neck ornament”), and Old English mene (“necklace”).^[2][1] The OLD also compares Greek μανιάκης (maniákēs, “Gallic neck ornament”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan and Köbler find it first in Afranius,^[2][5] who speaks of the owner of a necklace.^[3]

Semantic evolution

It is a necklace or ornamental collar, worn especially by women, but also by boys and by animals.^[3][6] Cicero tells of Eriphyle, who saw a necklace of gold and jewels.^[6] Virgil has golden collars hanging down on horses' breasts.^[3] In the plural it can mean jewellery in general: Apuleius speaks of the happy people who walk on gems and jewels.^[3][1] Stelten gives "necklace, jewel, collar" for Church Latin.^[7]

Timeline

• 2nd half of the 2nd century BC – Afranius of a necklace's owner.^[3][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero of Eriphyle's necklace.^[6]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil of golden collars on horses.^[3]
• c. 125–175 AD – Apuleius of jewels.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. A necklace, ornamental collar (worn by women or boys); (plural) jewellery.^[3][6][1][7]
2. A collar worn as an ornament by horses and other animals.^[3][6]

Related words

• torquēs

References

1. ^ a b c d e f 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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
5. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson