sandalium

Forms

sandalium n (genitive sandaliī or sandalī); second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek σανδάλιον (sandálion),^[2][3][1] a diminutive of σάνδαλον (sándalon, “sandal”).^[4][5] Beekes takes the base noun to be Pre-Greek, comparing its variant σάμβαλον (sámbalon),^[4] and Etymonline calls it probably foreign, perhaps from Persian.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It appears in the comedies of Turpilius and Terence;^[6][7] in Terence's Eunuchus it is a woman's sandal.^[8][9]

Semantic evolution

The OLD describes it as a sandal that covered the toes, as distinct from the solea.^[2] Later authors use it of women's sandals,^[6] and the Vulgate has it in the book of Judith.^[7] Bede explains that sandalia is a Greek neuter for the Latin caligula.^[10]

In medieval use the sandals were part of a bishop's insignia, worn by an abbot or prior by papal permission, and worn by kings;^[10] Köbler also records a medieval sense “fabric covering”.^[11] Spanish sandalia and Portuguese sandália are learned borrowings of it,^[1] and English sandal comes from Old French and Medieval Latin sandalum, from this word.^[5]

Timeline

• 190–159 BC – Terence uses it in the Eunuchus.^[8][11]
• 2nd century BC – Turpilius uses it in his comedies as well.^[6][11]
• 390–406 AD – The Vulgate has it in the book of Judith.^[7][11]
• 354–430 AD – Augustine mentions the sandalia of women.^[6][11]
• 1st third of the 8th century AD – Bede equates it with caligula.^[10][11]
• late 14th century – English borrows sandal.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. A sandal or slipper that covered the toes.^[2][7]
2. (Medieval Latin) A sandal as part of the pontificals of a bishop.^[10]

Word family

• sandaliārius
• sandaligerula

Related words

• English sandal

Usage notes

The second syllable is short in Terence but scanned long in the elegies ascribed to Albinovanus.^[7][6]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ Saalfeld, Günther Alexander (1874), Index Graecorum vocabulorum in linguam latinam translatorum, Berlin: Weidmann
4. ^ a b Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of Greek, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 10, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ a b c d e Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
7. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
8. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
9. ^ Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
10. ^ a b c d 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
11. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de