scindula

Forms

scindula f (genitive scindulae); first declension^[1] Medieval British sources spell it scendula, sindula, cindula, scedula and sendula.^[2]

Etymology

It is a later form, from Latin scandula (“shingle”),^[3][1] reshaped, according to Lewis & Short, as if it came from scindō (“to split”).^[3] Wiktionary calls it an alteration of the Classical word, attested from the 4th century AD.^[1] De Vaan instead lists scindula, with the variant scandula, among the derivatives of scindō, which goes back to Proto-Italic *ski-n-d-e/o- and Proto-Indo-European *ski-n-d- (“to split, tear off”).^[4] The OLD calls the origin of scandula doubtful.^[5] Etymonline also derives the word from scindō and finds the change of form unexplained.^[6]

Isidore of Seville explained the name of the ⟨scindulae⟩ “because they are split and divided”.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan records the word, with its variant scandula, from Aulus Hirtius on,^[4] for a wooden shingle used in roofing.^[3]

Semantic evolution

Lewis & Short give it as a split piece of wood, a shingle.^[3] In medieval Latin it remained the word for a thin board used as a roofing tile.^[2][8] The word was borrowed into the Germanic languages: Old English scindel and German Schindel come from it.^[6][1]

Timeline

• c. 50 BC – Aulus Hirtius has the word (or its variant scandula).^[4][9]
• 4th century AD – The form scindula is attested.^[1]
• c. 560–636 AD – Isidore of Seville explains scindulae as boards that are split.^[7][9]
• 1162 – The Pipe Rolls record scendula bought for a cellar and dovecote.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. A split piece of wood, a shingle for a roof.^[3][8][2]

Related words

• scandula
• scindō
• English shingle

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
7. ^ a b du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
8. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
9. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de