pugnus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈpʊŋ.nʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈpuɲ.ɲus]^[1]

Forms

pugnus m (genitive pugnī); second declension^[1] Plautus has a neuter pugnum.^[2]

Etymology

De Vaan places it with pungō “to prick”: he reconstructs Proto-Italic ⟨*puk/g-n(o)-⟩ “fist” beside ⟨*pung-⟩ “to pierce”, Proto-Indo-European *pu-n(e)-g/k-, and thinks a root ⟨*pug-⟩ “fist” existed apart from ⟨pungō⟩; ⟨pūgnus⟩ and pugna may then derive from an ⟨n⟩-stem seen in pugillus.^[3] Cognate with Ancient Greek πύξ (púx, “with the fist”) and Ancient Greek πυγμή (pugmḗ, “fist, boxing”).^[3][2] Köbler gives Proto-Indo-European *pewǵ- (“to prick; fist”) (Pokorny 828).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's earliest source is Terence.^[4] Köbler dates Terence 190–159 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant the clenched hand, the fist, especially as used for striking, as in Cicero's pugnum facere “to make a fist” and pugnīs certāre “to fight with the fists”.^[2][5]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it means fist.^[6] British Medieval Latin also used it for a horse's hoof.^[7] It survives as Italian pugno, French poing, Spanish puño, Portuguese punho and Romanian pumn.^[1]

Timeline

• 190–159 BC – Terence uses it.^[4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero has pugnum facere.^[5][4]

Meanings

Noun

1. The fist.^[2][8]
2. (Medieval Latin) A horse's hoof.^[7]

Word family

• pugneus
• pugnitus
• pugnō

Related words

• pugil
• pugiō
• pugna
• pugnācitās
• pugnāciter
• pugnāculum
• pugnantia
• pugnātor
• pugnātōrius
• pugnātrīx
• pungō
• pugillus

Usage notes

Festus, as excerpted by Paul the Deacon, derived pugnus from pūnctiō, a striking.^[8]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ 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
4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
7. ^ 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
8. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press