rapina

rapina¹ plunder

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [raˈpiː.na]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [raˈpiː.na]^[1]

Forms

rapīna f (genitive rapīnae); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin rapiō (“to seize”) + -īna.^[2][1] De Vaan reconstructs ⟨rapiō⟩ as Proto-Italic *rap-i- (“to seize”), Proto-Indo-European *h₁rp-i-, cognate with Ancient Greek ἐρέπτομαι (eréptomai, “to devour, snatch”) and Albanian rjep (“to tear off, rob”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is the Rhetorica ad Herennium, of plundering.^[2] Köbler dates it 86/82 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant the violent carrying off of property, robbery, plunder, pillage, and in Propertius concretely booty.^[2][5]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it means robbery, pillage.^[6] Medieval Latin used it for abduction and tallage, and British Medieval Latin as a legal term for violent theft.^[7][8] English rapine (early 15th century) is from it.^[9]

Timeline

• 86/82 BC – The Rhetorica ad Herennium uses it.^[2][4]
• 57/46–12 BC – Propertius uses it of booty.^[2][4]
• early 15th century – English rapine is recorded.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. Robbery, plunder, pillage.^[2][5]
2. Booty.^[2]
3. (Medieval Latin) Abduction; tallage.^[7]

rapina² turnip field

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [raːˈpiː.na]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [raˈpiː.na]^[1]

Forms

rāpīna f (genitive rāpīnae); first declension^[2][10]

Etymology

It is from Latin rāpum (“turnip”) + -īna.^[2][4] De Vaan reconstructs ⟨rāpum⟩ as Proto-Italic ⟨*rāpo-⟩ and, given the irregular correspondences with Ancient Greek ῥάπυς (rhápus, “turnip”), Lithuanian ropė (“turnip”) and Old High German ruoba (“turnip”), takes it for a loanword.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD and Gaffiot cite Cato.^[2][10] Köbler dates Cato 234–149 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant a turnip crop, a turnip, as in Cato, and a turnip field, as in Columella.^[2][5][10] The TLL notes a Raetian descendant ravine, “turnip field”.^[11]

Timeline

• 234–149 BC – Cato uses it.^[2][4]
• 1st century AD – Columella uses it of a turnip field.^[5][4]

Meanings

Noun

1. A turnip crop.^[2][10]
2. A turnip field.^[2][5]

Related words

• rapiō
• raptus
• rāpum

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 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 f g Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ 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
9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
10. ^ a b c d Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
11. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften