partus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈpar.tʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈpar.tus]^[1]

Forms

partus m (genitive partūs); fourth declension^[1] Pacuvius has the genitive partī, Varro partuis; the dative and ablative plural is partubus.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is from pariō “to give birth, produce” with the action-noun suffix -tus.^[2][1] De Vaan traces ⟨pariō⟩ to Proto-Indo-European *pérh₃-i- (“to provide”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, of giving birth.^[2] Köbler dates Ennius 204–169 BC as his first source.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It was the act of giving birth, childbirth, as in Plautus, and concretely offspring, progeny, the young, as in Afranius.^[2]

British Medieval Latin used it for childbirth, also of the Virgin's giving birth to Christ, and of animals and plants.^[6] It survives in Italian parto and French part, and English postpartum is formed from it.^[1]

Timeline

• 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it.^[5]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of giving birth.^[2][5]

Meanings

Noun

1. Childbirth, delivery.^[2]
2. Offspring, young.^[2]

Word family

• partualis

Related words

• pariō
• parēns
• parturiō

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ 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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ 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