tegula

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈteː.ɡʊ.ɫa]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈtɛː.ɡu.la]^[1]

Forms

tēgula f (genitive tēgulae); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from tegō “to cover” with the suffix -ula, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)teg- (“to cover”).^[2][1][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first source is Cicero, whom he dates 81–43 BC.^[5][4]

Semantic evolution

It meant a roof tile, and in the plural a tiled roof, as in Cicero and Livy.^[2][4] In Tacitus it meant a facing tile for walls.^[2] Gaffiot also gives a hollow tile on which meat was roasted.^[4]

In Medieval Latin it was a tile for roofs, walls or paving.^[6] It survives in Portuguese telha and Spanish teja, and Italian tegola.^[1] It was borrowed early into Germanic, giving Old English tigele, the source of English tile.^[3]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of roof tiles.^[4][5]
• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses the plural of a roof.^[4][5]
• 98–115 AD – Tacitus uses it of wall tiles.^[2][5]
• early 14th century – English tile is recorded, from Old English tigele.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. A roof tile, (plural) a tiled roof.^[2][4]
2. A facing tile for walls.^[2]

Word family

• tēgulārius
• tēgulīcius
• tegulum

Related words

• tegō
• tēctum
• English tile

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c d e f g Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ 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