Etymologically
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rudis

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈrʊ.dɪs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈruː.dis][1]

Forms

rudis (neuter rude); third-declension two-termination adjective[1]

Etymology

Its origin is uncertain; the OLD calls it doubtful.[2][3] Wiktionary derives it from Proto-Indo-European *Hrew- (“to tear up, dig up”) and relates it to rūdus “rubble”, and Köbler to Proto-Indo-European *rewd- (“to tear”).[1][4] Etymonline reports a preferred derivation from the source of rūfus “red”.[3] Lewis and Short compare crūdus.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first source is Plautus, whom he dates c. 250–184 BC.[4] The OLD cites Varro for untilled land.[2]

Semantic evolution

It meant still in its natural state, unwrought, of material, and of land uncultivated, as in Varro.[2][6] It meant roughly made, crude, as in Cicero, and of literary work clumsy, as in Ovid.[2] In Propertius it meant young, and in Martial unripe.[2] It meant primitive, uncivilized, as in Livy, untaught, untrained, of recruits raw, and with a genitive ignorant of something, as Cicero's rudis artium.[2][5] In Horace it meant untried, unfamiliar.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant rough, ignorant, raw, unpolished, uncultured.[7] It survives in Italian rude and rozzo, and through Old French it gave English rude in the late 13th century, first of rough surfaces.[1][3]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.[4]
  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of untilled land.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of crude workmanship and of the ignorant.[2][4]
  • late 13th century – English rude is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Unwrought, raw; of land, untilled.[2]
  2. Roughly made, crude; clumsy.[2]
  3. Young; unripe.[2]
  4. Primitive, uncivilized.[2]
  5. Untaught, untrained; raw; ignorant (of).[2]
  6. Untried, unfamiliar.[2]

Word family

  • ērudiō
  • ruditas
  • rudiārius
  • rudicula
  • rudīmentum

Usage notes

A different noun rudis meant a stirring stick and the wooden sword given to a gladiator on his discharge.[2][5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson