Etymologically
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muscosus

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [muːsˈkoː.sʊs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [musˈkɔː.s̬us][1]

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]

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