sol

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈsoːɫ]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈsɔl]^[1]

Forms

sōl m (genitive sōlis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *saul, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *séh₂u-l (“sun”).^[2][1] The PIE word and the development of the Latin form are disputed.^[1]

Cognate with Ancient Greek ἥλιος (hḗlios, “sun”) and Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐌿𐌹𐌻 (sauil, “sun”).^[3][4] Varro said the name was Sabine, or came from sōlus “alone”, since the sun alone gives daylight.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found in the Laws of the Twelve Tables (c. 450 BC).^[5] Plautus' boasting soldier wants his shield to shine brighter than the sun's rays.^[3]

Semantic evolution

It was the sun as a heavenly body, the sun marking the time of day, as Cato's ante solem occasum, “before sunset”, and the sun moving through the zodiac and marking the seasons.^[3] It meant the sun's warmth or sunlight, as Cato's wheat sown where the sun lies longest, and in poetry a clime, as Horace's “why do we change our land for lands warmed by another sun?”.^[3]

The sun was a god, Sol, identified with Helios, whose daughter was Circe and whose son was Phaethon.^[3] In poetry it meant a day.^[6] In alchemy it was gold.^[1] English solar comes from its derivative solaris (mid-15th century).^[7]

Timeline

• c. 450 BC – The Twelve Tables use it.^[5]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of the sun's rays.^[3][5]
• 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of sunset and sunlight.^[3][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero tells the story of Sol and Phaethon.^[3][5]
• mid-15th century – English solar comes from its derivative.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. The sun.^[3][1]
2. The sun as marking the time of day (sunrise, sunset).^[3]
3. The sun's warmth, sunlight.^[3][1]
4. (poetic) A clime, region; a day.^[3][6]
5. Sol: the sun god.^[3][1]
6. (alchemy) Gold.^[1]

Word family

• sōlāgō
• sōlānus
• sōlāris
• sōlārium
• sōlārius
• sōlātus
• sōlifer
• sōlifuga
• Sōligena
• sōlstitium
• *sōliculum

Related words

• English solar

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
5. ^ a b c d e 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 Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com