pulsus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈpʊɫ.sʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈpul.sus]^[1]

Forms

pulsus m (genitive pulsūs); fourth declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin pellō (“to push, strike”) + -tus, an action noun.^[2][1] De Vaan traces ⟨pellō⟩ to Proto-Indo-European *pl̥-n(e)-h₂- (“to approach”), with a shift from “to bring closer” to “to push, impel”, and compares Venetic ⟨poltos⟩ “moved”.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's earliest source is Ennius.^[4] Köbler dates Ennius 204–169 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant a pushing, beating, striking, a stroke, as in Vitruvius and Cicero's pulsus rēmōrum “the stroke of the oars”; and an impulse, thrust, motion given to something, as in Cicero's pulsū externō agitārī “to be moved from outside”.^[2][5][6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it means stroke, beating, blow.^[7] Medieval Latin used it for the clapper of a bell, and British Medieval Latin for rhythmical beating, as of instruments and bells.^[8][9] French pouls and Middle High German puls “pulse” are from it.^[4]

Timeline

• 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it.^[4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of the stroke of oars.^[6][4]
• c. 84–c. 25 BC – Vitruvius uses it of beating.^[2][4]

Meanings

Noun

1. A beating, stroke, blow.^[2][5]
2. An impulse, thrust.^[2]
3. (Medieval Latin) The clapper of a bell.^[8]

Word family

• pulsuosus

Related words

• pellō
• pulsō
• impulsus
• English pulse

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ 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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
8. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
9. ^ 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