Etymologically
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sol

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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
  • 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