Etymologically
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pulverizo

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [pʊɫ.wɛˈrɪz.zoː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [pul.veˈrid.d͡zo][1]

Forms

pulverizō (present infinitive pulverizāre, perfect active pulverizāvī, supine pulverizātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin pulvis (“dust”) + -izō,[1][2] the suffix going back to the verbal suffix Ancient Greek -ίζω (-ízō).[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lewis and Short cite it as Late Latin from Vegetius' veterinary treatise, for a measure of powdered incense;[3] the TLL notes that the word there and in other late medical texts appears only in later manuscripts and early editions, where older manuscripts have other words.[4]

Semantic evolution

Medieval scholars used it for grinding something to powder, in natural philosophy, alchemy and medicine.[2] It also meant to cover with dust: the English Court of Piepowder was the curia de pede pulverizato, the court of the dusty foot.[2] Polish sources use it for powdering and for raising dust.[5] English took it over as pulverize in the early 15th century.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 400 AD – Vegetius' veterinary treatise has it in some manuscripts.[3][4][7]
  • 1361 – British records name the court of the pes pulverizatus, the Court of Piepowder.[2]
  • early 15th century – English borrows it as pulverize.[6]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To reduce to powder or dust, pulverize.[3][2][5]
  2. (Medieval Latin) To cover with dust;[2] curia de pede pulverizato, the Court of Piepowder.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h 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
  3. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  5. ^ a b Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
  6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  7. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de