sutilis

Forms

sūtilis (neuter sūtile); third-declension two-termination adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin suō (“to sew”) + -ilis,^[2] built on ⟨sūt-⟩, the stem of the perfect passive participle.^[1] De Vaan traces ⟨suō⟩ to Proto-Indo-European *siuH-ie/o- (“to sew”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Virgil has it first,^[4] in the Aeneid, of a boat made of stitched skins (cumba sutilis) and of a stitched belt.^[2]

Semantic evolution

It is a poetic and post-Augustan word.^[5] Ovid and Martial use it of garlands with the flowers sewn on, Pliny the Elder of garlands of leaves and of sewn ships, Valerius Flaccus of a house of stitched skins, and Apuleius of a patchwork cloak.^[2][5]

Timeline

• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of a boat of stitched skins and of a belt.^[2][4]
• 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid uses it of garlands.^[5][4]
• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder speaks of sewn ships.^[2][4]
• c. 125–175 AD – Apuleius uses it of a patchwork cloak.^[2][4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Made by sewing, stitched or fastened together.^[2][5]

Related words

• suō
• sūtor

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. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press