Etymologically
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nassa

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈnas.sa][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈnas.sa][1]

Forms

nassa f (genitive nassae); first declension[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *nasso-, from Proto-Indo-European *nHd-to- (“tied, knotted”).[2] Cognate with Old Irish nascaid (“binds”), Old Irish naidm (“bond”), Gothic 𐌽𐌰𐍄𐌹 (nati, “net”) and English net.[2][3][4] De Vaan notes it is disputed which forms belong together; if nōdus “knot” is cognate, it would need a different explanation.[2] If Germanic *nati- belongs here, there was a root *nad- “to bind, plait” shared by Germanic, Italic and Celtic.[2] Festus and Isidore of Seville describe it.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Plautus, whom Festus quotes: “never shall I seek food from that weel today”.[2][6] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[7]

Semantic evolution

It meant a wicker trap with a narrow neck for catching fish, a weel, which Festus defines as a fisherman's vessel from which a fish cannot get out once it is in.[3][6] Figuratively it meant a trap, a tight spot, as in Plautus and in Cicero's letters.[8] The form naxa is also found.[6][8]

In Medieval Latin it was a fish-trap or fish-basket.[9] It survives in French nasse, Italian nassa and Spanish nasa.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it figuratively.[8][7]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of a tight spot.[8][7]
  • 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses it of fish traps.[8][7]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A wicker fish trap, weel.[3]
  2. (figurative) A trap, a tight spot.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e 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 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. ^ Isidore of Seville, Etymologiarum sive Originum libri XX, ed. W. M. Lindsay (Oxford, 1911).
  6. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  8. ^ a b c d e f Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  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