Etymologically
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scabo

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈska.boː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈskaː.bo][1]

Forms

scabō (present infinitive scabere, perfect active scābī); third conjugation, no passive, no supine stem[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *skaf-e/o- (“to scratch”),[2] from the root Wiktionary gives as Proto-Indo-European *skabʰ- (“to scratch”).[1][2] Cognate with Gothic 𐍃𐌺𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌽 (skaban, “to shave”), Old High German scaban (“to plane”) and Lithuanian skõbti (“to plane”);[2][3] de Vaan thinks the Germanic verb *skabanan and the Lithuanian one may continue an iterative stem.[2] The LIV also adds Ancient Greek σκάπτω (skáptō, “to dig”), but de Vaan, with Schrijver, finds these words further in meaning and their connection uncertain.[2]

De Vaan suggests that the Latin ⟨a⟩ arose in the adjective scaber (“rough”), between two consonant clusters, and rejects Schrijver's rule that /e/ became /a/ after a velar.[2] The perfect ⟨scābī⟩ is secondary, made by lengthening the vowel of the present.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first author is Lucilius,[2] who says of someone that he scratched himself like a pig rubbing its ribs against a tree: scaberat ut porcus contritis arbore costis.[3][4]

Semantic evolution

It was used of scratching a part of the body, especially to relieve an itch: Horace pictures a poet who would often scratch his head while making a verse,[3] and Pliny the Elder describes animals scratching their ears with their hind feet.[3][4] Seneca asks figuratively why someone is scratching his ears, that is, tickling them with pleasant talk.[3][5] More generally it meant to scratch or scrape something, as feet scratching the ground.[3][5]

Lucilius gave one of his satires the proverbial title mutuum muli scabunt, “mules scratch each other”;[3] Ausonius quotes the saying, and Symmachus and Ennodius use mutuum scabere of two people praising each other.[5][4] Ecclesiastical Latin kept the sense “to scratch, scrape”.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius uses it of scratching like a pig.[2][3][7]
  • 65–8 BC – Horace uses it of scratching one's head.[3][7]
  • 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca uses it figuratively of tickling the ears.[3][7]
  • 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses it of animals scratching and of scraping the ground.[3][7]
  • c. 340–402 AD – Symmachus uses mutuum scabere of mutual praise.[5][4][7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To scratch (a part of the body), especially to relieve an itch;[3][4] (figurative) to tickle (the ears) with pleasant talk.[3][5] Mūtuum mūlī scabunt, “mules scratch each other”, of mutual flattery.[3][5]
  2. To scratch, scrape, abrade.[3][5][6]

Word family

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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 i j k l m n o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  6. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de