Etymologically
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pilus

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈpɪ.ɫʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈpiː.lus][1]

Forms

pilus m (genitive pilī); second declension[1]

Etymology

Its origin is uncertain.[1] Older works reconstruct Proto-Indo-European *pilo- (“hair”), comparing pilleus “felt cap” and Ancient Greek πῖλος (pîlos, “felt”).[1][2][3] De Vaan notes that relating it to pila “ball” requires taking the ball as a bundle of hair.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Varro, Köbler from Laevius.[4][2] Varro says the goat supplies hair for use on ships.[5] Köbler dates Varro 116–27 BC.[2]

Semantic evolution

It was a single hair, of people or animals, as Cicero describes the eyelids fenced with hairs.[3][6] As something of minimal size it meant “not a hair”, “not a whit”, as Cicero's nē pilō quidem minus and “not a hair from Cappadocia”.[3][6]

It survives in Italian pelo, French poil and Romanian păr, and French pelage “coat of an animal” gave English pelage in 1831.[1][7] Dēpilātus “stripped of hair” gave English depilate in the 1550s.[7]

Timeline

  • 2nd–1st century BC – Laevius uses it.[2]
  • 116–27 BC – Varro speaks of goat hair used on ships.[5][2]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero says he will not love himself a hair less.[3][2]
  • 1550s – English depilate is recorded.[7]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A hair.[3]
  2. (figurative) A whit, a trifle, nē pilum quidem, not a whit.[3][6]

Word family

  • English pelage
  • English depilate

Usage notes

Pīlus, with a long ī, is a different word, the first century of the triarii in the phrase prīmum pīlum dūcere, “to be the chief centurion”.[3][6]

References

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