scutella

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [skʊˈtɛl.la], [skʊˈtɛl.laː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [skuˈtɛl.la], [skuˈtɛl.la]^[1]

Forms

scutella f (genitive scutellae); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin scutra (“tray, platter”) + -ella.^[2][1][3] The ancient grammarians, as Georges reports, derived it from scūtum “shield”.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Cicero, in the Tusculan Disputations, speaks of a cup of a sweet drink.^[2][3] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It was a small shallow dish or cup, and also a stand for other vessels, as Ulpian lists among the furnishings in the Digest.^[2][6] Venantius Fortunatus uses it too.^[3]

In medieval Latin it meant a dish and so a meal.^[7][5] Its descendants include Old French escuelle, Spanish escudilla and Italian scodella.^[8] English scuttle “dish, basket” comes from late Old English scutel, from this word.^[8]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of a cup.^[2][5]
• before 223 AD – Ulpian uses it of a stand.^[2][5]
• late Old English – Borrowed as scutel, later scuttle.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. A small shallow dish, cup, salver.^[2][3]
2. A stand for other vessels.^[2][6]
3. (Medieval Latin) A dish of food, a meal.^[7]

Related words

• English scuttle

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com