Etymologically
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onustus

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ɔˈnʊs.tʊs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [oˈnus.tus][1]

Forms

onustus (feminine onusta, neuter onustum); first/second-declension adjective[1] Gellius cites honustus as an archaic spelling.[2][3]

Etymology

It is from Latin onus (“load, burden”) + -tus.[2][1] De Vaan explains it as a derivative in ⟨-to-⟩ of the s-stem, ⟨*onos-to-⟩.[4] He traces ⟨onus⟩ to Proto-Italic *ones- and Proto-Indo-European *h₃en-os (“load”), cognate with Sanskrit अनस् (ánas-, “heavy cart”); a link with Hittite anniya- (“to work”) is not compelling in meaning.[4] Wiktionary also allows that the formation is already Indo-European, comparing Ancient Greek ὀνοστός (onostós).[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan and Köbler date it from Naevius.[4][5]

Semantic evolution

It means “loaded, laden”, of ships, carts and animals: Caesar's Bibulus hoped to meet laden ships but met empty ones.[2][3] With a genitive or ablative it is “laden with, full of”, as Cicero's ships loaded with grain, and it is used of trees heavy with fruit.[2][3] It also means heavily laden, as Horace's guest sent away loaded with gifts, and abundantly supplied, as Sallust's fertile land full of booty; and weighed down, as by armour or chains.[2]

Timeline

  • c. 235–200 BC – Naevius.[4][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of ships laden with grain.[3][5]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar of laden ships.[2][5]
  • 86–34 BC – Sallust of land full of booty.[2][5]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Loaded, laden, freighted (with a genitive or ablative).[2][3][1]
  2. Heavily laden; abundantly supplied.[2]
  3. Weighed down, burdened.[2][1]

Word family

  • sēmionustus

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g 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 c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ 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
  5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de