Etymologically
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radix

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈraː.diːks][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈraː.diks][1]

Forms

rādīx f (genitive rādīcis); third declension[1] Varro has a genitive plural rādīcium.[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *wrād-ī-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *ur(e)h₂-d-iH- (“root”).[3][1][4] Cognate with Welsh gwraidd (“roots”), Ancient Greek ῥάδιξ (rhádix, “branch, twig”), Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌿𐍂𐍄𐍃 (waúrts, “root”), Old English wyrt (“plant, root”) and Old Norse rót (“root”).[3][2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus uses it.[3] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

In Classical Latin it was the root of a plant or tree, as in Caesar's trees undermined at the roots, ab rādīcibus was “roots and all”.[2][6] It was the root of the hair or teeth, the lower part or base of anything, and the source or origin of something.[2][1] It also meant a radish and a family or stock.[1]

In medieval Latin it was also a country seat.[7] It survives as Italian radice, Spanish raíz and Portuguese raiz.[1] English radical comes from rādīcālis, and Old English borrowed it as rædic, “radish”.[8]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.[3][5]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar describes trees undermined at the roots.[6][5]
  • late 14th century – English radical is recorded, from rādīcālis.[8]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A root (of a plant), ab rādīcibus, roots and all.[2][9]
  2. The root (of hair or teeth).[2]
  3. The lower part, base.[2][1]
  4. The source, origin.[2]
  5. A radish.[1]
  6. Stock, family.[1]
  7. (Medieval Latin) A country seat.[7]

Word family

  • rādīcīna
  • rādīcitus
  • rādīcōsus
  • rādīcula
  • rādīcālis
  • multiradix
  • uīuerādix
  • ērādīcō
  • rādīcātus
  • rādīcescō
  • rādīcō
  • rādīcor
  • rāmus
  • English radical
  • English radish

Usage notes

Isidore says the root is so called because it plunges into the earth fixed as if by rays (radiī).[10]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d 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 Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  9. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  10. ^ Isidore of Seville, Etymologiarum sive Originum libri XX, ed. W. M. Lindsay (Oxford, 1911).