Etymologically
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sudor

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈsuː.dɔr][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈsuː.dor][1]

Forms

sūdor m (genitive sūdōris); third declension[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *swe/oid-ōs-, from Proto-Indo-European *sueid-s- (“sweat”), from the root Proto-Indo-European *sweyd- (“to sweat”).[2][1][3] De Vaan explains it as inherited from ⟨*sweidōs⟩ if Rix's change of ⟨*swei-⟩ to ⟨*swoi-⟩ is right; otherwise the stem of sūdō “to sweat” was brought into the old s-stem.[2][1] The OLD treats it as formed from ⟨sūdō⟩ with the suffix -or.[4] Cognate with Sanskrit स्वेद (svéda, “sweat”), Ancient Greek ἱδρώς (hidrṓs, “sweat”), Latvian sviêdri (“sweat”), Welsh chwys (“sweat”), Old High German sweiz and Old English swāt.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Ennius, “sweat flows from the whole body”.[4][5] De Vaan's first attestation is Plautus, and Köbler dates Ennius 204–169 BC.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

It meant sweat from heat or exertion, and in Lucretius the sweat of fear or anxiety, and in poetry other salty liquids.[4] In Cicero it was sweat as the sign of toil, and in Gaius it meant labours, exertion.[4] In Pliny the Elder it meant moisture oozing from a plant or substance, and in Vitruvius a trickle of water found in water-divining.[4]

British Medieval Latin used it for the sweat of sickness and for the sweating sickness.[6] It survives in Italian sudore, Romanian sudoare, French sueur and Portuguese suor.[1] English sweat is a cognate, from Old English swāt.[7]

Timeline

  • 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of sweat.[4][3]
  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of the sweat of fear.[4][3]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of toil.[4][3]
  • 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses it of moisture from plants.[4][3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Sweat; sweating.[4]
  2. Toil, exertion.[4]
  3. Moisture oozing from a plant or substance.[4]
  4. (Medieval Latin) The sweating sickness.[6]

Word family

  • sūdōrifer

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d 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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b 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
  7. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com