muscosus

Forms

mūscōsus (feminine mūscōsa, neuter mūscōsum, comparative mūscōsior, adverb mūscōsē); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin mūscus (“moss”) + -ōsus.^[2][1] De Vaan derives the noun from Proto-Italic *mū̆sko- and Proto-Indo-European *mū̆s-ko- (“moor, moss”), with cognates such as Lithuanian mūsaĩ (“mould”), Old Norse mosi (“moss, moorland”) and Old High German mos (“moss, marsh”); whether it is connected with mustus is uncertain.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in Varro,^[3][4] of mossy meadows.^[5][6]

Semantic evolution

Catullus has a mossy stone and Virgil mossy springs;^[7][5][6] Cicero uses the comparative of a place, saying that nothing is colder or mossier.^[5] The OLD notes that it could also mean “like moss”.^[2]

Sidonius has the adverb mūscōsē.^[5] In medieval Britain Aldhelm uses it in a string of adjectives beside sētōsus, “bristly”, describing a hound.^[8] It lives on in Italian muscoso.^[6]

Timeline

• 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of mossy meadows.^[5][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses the comparative of a place.^[5][4]
• 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus writes of a mossy stone.^[7][6][4]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil writes of mossy springs.^[5][4]
• 639–709 AD – Aldhelm uses it of a hound.^[8][4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Full of moss, mossy.^[2][5]
2. Resembling moss.^[2]

Related words

• mūscus

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c d e f g h Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c d Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
7. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
8. ^ a b 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