pavio

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈpa.wi.oː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈpaː.vi.o]^[1]

Forms

paviō (present infinitive pavīre, perfect active pavīvī, supine pavītum); fourth conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *pawje/o-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *ph₂u-ie/o- (“to hit”).^[2] Hackstein and the LIV reconstruct a present *pi(e)h₂-u-ie/o- with an initial *pi̯- lost in Italic, while Janda posits Proto-Indo-European *peh₂w- (“to strike”).^[2][1] Cognate with Ancient Greek παίω (paíō, “to strike”), Lithuanian pjáuti (“to cut, reap”) and Latvian pļaũt (“to mow”).^[2][1][3] The OLD calls the origin doubtful.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Cato, who orders a newly laid floor to be rammed down.^[2][4] Köbler dates Cato 234–149 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to thump, pound, strike, as Cicero's sacred chickens dropping food that strikes the ground, and Lucretius' sea beating the sand.^[4][3] Specifically it meant to ram down earth to form a hard, level surface, tamp, as Varro's threshing floor of firmly beaten earth.^[4][3][6]

English pavement comes from its derivative pavīmentum “beaten floor” in the mid-13th century, and English pave through Old French paver in the early 14th century.^[7][1]

Timeline

• 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of ramming down a floor.^[4][5]
• 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of beaten earth.^[4][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of food striking the ground.^[4][5]
• early 14th century – English pave is recorded.^[7]

Meanings

Verb

1. To thump, pound, strike.^[4]
2. To ram down, tamp (earth, to make a hard surface).^[4]

Word family

• pavīcula
• pavīmentum

Related words

• pūr(i)gō
• pūrus
• putō
• English pave
• English pavement

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com