rubicundus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [rʊ.bɪˈkʊn.dʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ru.biˈkun.dus]^[1]

Forms

rubicundus (feminine rubicunda, neuter rubicundum, comparative rubicundior); first/second-declension adjective^[1] Comparative rubicundior.^[2]

Etymology

It is from Latin rubeō (“to be red”) + -cundus.^[2][1] De Vaan traces ⟨ruber⟩ to Proto-Italic *ruþro- (“red”), Proto-Indo-European *h₁rudʰ-ró- (“red”), cognate with Umbrian ⟨rufru⟩ and Ancient Greek ἐρυθρός (eruthrós, “red”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lewis & Short and Gaffiot cite Plautus' Pseudolus, ōre rubicundō “with a ruddy face”.^[4][5] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant red, ruddy, flushed, of the face and complexion, as in Plautus and Terence, and of crops red-gold, as in Virgil's rubicunda Cerēs “the ripened harvest”.^[2][4][5]

British Medieval Latin used it for red, rosy, of the complexion and of the Red Sea, and it passed into a surname.^[7] English rubicund (early 15th century) is from it.^[8]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of a face.^[4][6]
• 190–159 BC – Terence uses it.^[4][6]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of the harvest.^[5][6]
• early 15th century – English rubicund is recorded.^[8]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Ruddy, flushed, red.^[2][4]

Word family

• rubicundulus
• subrubicundus

Related words

• rubeō
• ruber
• rubor
• English rubicund

References

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