saucius

Forms

saucius (feminine saucia, neuter saucium, comparative magis saucius, superlative maximē saucius); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

The origin is uncertain: the OLD marks it doubtful and Köbler calls it unknown.^[2][3] De Vaan follows Vine, for whom it is inherited from Proto-Italic *(k)sawo- (“wound”), from Proto-Indo-European *ksou-ó- (“scraping”): a noun derived from it meaning “a scrape, wound”, with the suffix ⟨-io-⟩ and /ow/ unrounded to /aw/, would give ⟨saucius⟩.^[4] The root is that of Sanskrit क्षुर (kṣurá, “razor”), Ancient Greek ξύω (xúō, “to scrape, plane”) and Lithuanian skùsti (“to plane”), and Vine also compares Umbrian sauitu, a harmful act named in a curse.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan and Köbler give Livius Andronicus as its first author, in a tragedy: ipsus sē in terram saucius fligit cadēns, “wounded, he dashes himself to the ground as he falls”.^[4][3][2]

Semantic evolution

It is wounded, and as a noun a wounded man, common in military language (Caesar).^[2][5] It extends to other distress, as Silius' famished sea monster, to things pierced or torn, as Horace's mast struck by the south-west wind, and in Seneca to being tipsy rather than fully drunk.^[2] Figuratively it is stricken with an emotion, above all love, as Ennius' Medea wounded by fierce love, harmed in fortune or reputation, and of faculties impaired.^[2]

Church Latin glosses it “wounded, hurt, injured”.^[6] British Medieval Latin uses it of wounded people and in figurative contexts.^[7]

Timeline

• 280/260–before 200 BC – Livius Andronicus of a wounded man.^[4][2][3]
• 204–169 BC – Ennius of Medea wounded by love.^[2][3]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero of people ruined in fortune.^[2][3]
• c. 50 BC – Caesar of the wounded in battle.^[2][3]
• 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca of being tipsy.^[2][3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Wounded, hurt;^[2][1][6] (as a noun) a wounded man.^[2][1][6]
2. Suffering, distressed (from other causes).^[2][1]
3. (of things) Pierced, torn.^[2]
4. Tipsy.^[2]
5. (figurative) Stricken (with love or another emotion); damaged (in fortune or reputation); impaired.^[2]

Word family

• saucietas
• sauciō
• semisaucius

Related words

• sauciātiō
• vulnus

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 o p Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ 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
5. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
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