Etymologically
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rivus

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈriː.wʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈriː.vus][1]

Forms

rīvus m (genitive rīvī); second declension[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *rīwo- (“stream”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *h₃riH-uo- (“whirling”).[2] Cognate with Sanskrit रिणाति (riṇā́ti, “makes flow”), Sanskrit रीयते (rī́yate, “flows, whirls”) and Middle Irish rían (“river, sea”).[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Ennius uses it, and the Duenos inscription may have the ablative plural riuois “with streams”.[2][3] Köbler dates Ennius 204–169 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

In Classical Latin it was a small stream or brook, as Lucretius' lying beside a stream of water, and an artificial channel or conduit for irrigation, as Virgil's “close the channels”.[3][5] Often in exaggeration it was a stream of blood, tears or another liquid.[3][1]

In medieval Britain it was a stream used for fulling and for drinking water.[6] Its derivative rīvālis, one who shares a stream, gave English rival, and dērīvō “to draw off water” gave derive.[7] It survives as Italian rio, Spanish río and Romanian râu.[1]

Timeline

  • 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it.[3][4]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses dērīvāre.[2][4]
  • late 14th century – English derive is recorded.[7]
  • 1570s – English rival is recorded.[7]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A small stream, brook.[3][8]
  2. A channel, conduit, canal.[3][1]
  3. A stream (of blood, tears and the like).[3][1]

Word family

  • dērīvō
  • rīvālis
  • rīvātim
  • rīvifīnālis
  • rīvō
  • rīvora
  • rīvulus
  • *rīvusculum
  • irrītō
  • English rival
  • English derive

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ 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
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ 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
  7. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  8. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press