passer

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈpas.sɛr]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈpas.ser]^[1]

Forms

passer m (genitive passeris); third declension^[1]

Etymology

Its origin is uncertain.^[2][3][1] Schrijver, followed by de Vaan, proposes Proto-Italic *pattro-, from Proto-Indo-European *pt-tro- (“flyer, bird”), from the root of penna “feather”, with a change from the second to the third declension.^[4][1] Köbler suggests it may be imitative, and Lewis & Short derive it from *panser, from pandō.^[5][6] The Appendix Probi corrects the popular form passar.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan and Köbler date it from Plautus, who uses it as a term of endearment.^[4][5][8] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It was a small bird, in most cases taken to be the sparrow, but also other species, such as the pet bird of Catullus' girl.^[2] Cicero recalls the sparrows by which Calchas foretold the years of the Trojan War.^[2] Passer marīnus “sea sparrow” was the ostrich, as in Plautus, and passer alone was a flatfish, perhaps the flounder.^[2]

It survives in Italian passero and Romanian pasăre “bird”, and Vulgar Latin forms gave Spanish pájaro and Portuguese pássaro.^[1]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it as an endearment.^[8][5]
• 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus writes on his girl's sparrow.^[2][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero recalls the sparrows of Calchas.^[2][5]

Meanings

Noun

1. A sparrow; a small bird.^[2]
2. (term of endearment) Little sparrow.^[8]
3. passer marīnus, the ostrich.^[2]
4. A flatfish, perhaps the flounder.^[2]

Word family

• passercula
• passerculus
• passerīnus

Related words

• penna

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ 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
5. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ Appendix Probi, a late antique list of correct and censured Latin word forms ("calida non calda"); ed. H. Keil, Grammatici Latini IV, Leipzig 1864, 197–199.
8. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.