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porcinus

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word porcinus

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 235–200 BC Naevius
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European *pórḱ-o-
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin porcus
Latin porcīnus
Spanish porcino
English porcine

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [pɔrˈkiː.nʊs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [porˈt͡ʃiː.nus][1]

Forms

porcīnus (feminine porcīna, neuter porcīnum); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin porcus (“pig”) + -īnus.[2][1] Porcus goes back to Proto-Italic *pork-o- and Proto-Indo-European *pórḱ-o- (“digger, pig”), originally “digger”, from the root also seen in the word for “furrow”.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Naevius on.[3] Plautus already uses the feminine porcina as a noun for pork, listing it with lamb and beef among dear foods.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

As an adjective it means “of a pig, swine's”: Plautus has it of pork dishes, Seneca of a pig's squeal, and the Vulgate speaks of caro porcina, pork.[4] The feminine noun porcina (understood caro, meat) meant pork.[2][4]

Medieval British writers used it for things of or for pigs, for pork, and as a noun for a pigsty.[5] English porcine (early 15th century) came from Old French porcin and directly from Latin.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it.[3][7]
  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses porcina for pork.[2][7]
  • 4 BC–AD 65 – Seneca speaks of a pig's voice.[4][7]
  • 390–406 AD – The Vulgate has caro porcina.[4][7]
  • early 15th century – English borrows porcine.[6]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Of or belonging to a pig, porcine.[2][4]

Noun

  1. (feminine) pork.[2][4]
  2. (Medieval Latin, feminine) A pigsty.[5]

Word family

  • porcinarium
  • porcīnārius

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 de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ 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
  6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  7. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de

Borrowed into

Descendants

Cite this entry

“Porcinus.” Etymologically, 7 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/la/porcinus. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·