Etymologically
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pilosus

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [pɪˈɫoː.sʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [piˈlɔː.s̬us][1]

Forms

pilōsus (feminine pilōsa, neuter pilōsum); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin pilus (“a hair”) + -ōsus.[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates its first use to Lucilius, c. 180–102 BC.[3] Varro says the sheep has a hairy belly.[4][5]

Semantic evolution

It meant covered with hair, hairy, shaggy, of animals, people and leaves, as Pliny's hairier leaves.[2][4] Hairiness marked uncouthness: Cicero mocks Piso's hairy cheeks, and Juvenal hairy nostrils.[2][6]

In the Vulgate pilōsus as a noun was a hairy monster, a satyr or demon.[3][7] Medieval British writers also used it of Esau.[8] English pilose came in 1753, and Etymonline traces caterpillar to Old North French caterpilose, from Late Latin catta pilōsa “hairy cat”.[9]

Timeline

  • c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius uses it.[3]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero mocks Piso's hairy cheeks.[2][3]
  • 390–406 AD – The Vulgate uses it as a noun for a hairy demon.[3]
  • mid-15th century – English caterpillar is recorded.[9]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. hairy, shaggy.[2][4]
  2. Uncouth, unkempt.[2]

Noun

  1. (Ecclesiastical Latin) A hairy monster, satyr, demon.[7][3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  6. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  8. ^ 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
  9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com