Etymologically
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navalis

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [naːˈwaː.lɪs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [naˈvaː.lis][1]

Forms

nāvālis (neuter nāvāle); third-declension two-termination adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from nāvis “ship” with the suffix -ālis.[2][1][3] Etymonline traces ⟨nāvis⟩ to Proto-Indo-European *nau- (“boat”).[4] An old inscription spells it ⟨nāb-⟩.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, of what belongs to a ship.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant of a ship, nautical, of workmen skilled in shipbuilding, of timber suitable for it, as in Livy, and the porta nāvālis was a gate in Rome named after the docks.[2] It meant concerned with sea warfare, naval, as Cicero's pedestrēs nāvālēsve pugnae “battles on land or sea” and bellum nāvāle, of forces and commanders, and of honours for naval victories.[2][6] In Tacitus the stagnum nāvāle was an artificial lake for staging sea fights.[2]

British Medieval Latin used the neuter plural for a ship's equipment.[7] English naval came in the early 15th century through Old French and directly from Latin.[4]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of ships.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses bellum nāvāle.[6][5]
  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of shipbuilders and timber.[2][5]
  • early 15th century – English naval is recorded.[4]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Of a ship, nautical; of shipbuilding.[2]
  2. Naval, of sea warfare.[2]
  3. stagnum nāvāle, a lake for mock sea fights.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ 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