pons

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈpõːs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈpɔns]^[1]

Forms

pōns m (genitive pontis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *pont-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *pónt-h₁-s (“road”), from Proto-Indo-European *pent- (“path”); the sense moved from “road” to “bridge”.^[2][1] Cognate with Sanskrit पन्था (pánthā-, “road, path”), Ancient Greek πάτος (pátos, “path”) and Ancient Greek πόντος (póntos, “sea”).^[2][3][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Ennius says that Xerxes bridged the Hellespont.^[3][2] Köbler dates Ennius 204–169 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It was a bridge, as Caesar's bridge over the Arar and the pōns sublicius, the pile bridge at Rome, a gangway between buildings or walls, and a platform or deck, as the floors of Virgil's towers.^[3][5][6] It was also the deck of a ship.^[1]

In medieval Latin it was also the public duty of building and repairing bridges.^[7][8] Proto-Romance */ˈpɔnt-e/ “bridge” is continued in all Romance languages.^[9] It survives as Italian ponte, French pont, Spanish puente and Romanian punte.^[1] Its derivative pontifex gave English pontiff.^[10]

Timeline

• 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of Xerxes' bridge.^[3][4]
• c. 50 BC – Caesar builds a bridge over the Arar.^[6][4]
• c. 1600 – English pontiff is recorded, from pontifex.^[10]

Meanings

Noun

1. A bridge.^[3][11]
2. A gangway.^[3][7]
3. A platform, floor; a deck.^[3][1]
4. (Medieval Latin) Bridge duty.^[7][8]

Word family

• dēpontō
• pontārius
• ponticulus
• pontifex
• pontilis
• pontō

Related words

• pontus
• English pontiff
• English pons

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c 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 d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ a b 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. ^ Buchi, Éva; Schweickard, Wolfgang, eds. (2008–), Dictionnaire Étymologique Roman (DÉRom), Nancy: ATILF, http://www.atilf.fr/DERom
10. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
11. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press