tibia

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈtiː.bi.a]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈtiː.bi.a]^[1]

Forms

tībia f (genitive tībiae); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It has no good Indo-European etymology, and may be a loanword from the same source as Ancient Greek σίφων (síphōn, “tube, siphon”).^[2][3] The original meaning may have been “stalk” or “shin-bone”, since pipes were often made from shin-bones, though “shin-bone” is attested only from Pliny the Elder and Celsus on.^[2][1] The OLD compares Lithuanian staibiai (“shins”) and Sanskrit स्तिभि (stíbhi, “tuft”), and Köbler a root *twībʰ- “hollow”.^[4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citation is Ennius, who wrote that the pipe of the Muses makes a song.^[4] De Vaan dates it from Plautus.^[2] Köbler dates Ennius 204–169 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant a reed pipe, a tube with finger holes and a reed mouthpiece, usually played in pairs, as in Plautus, with a curved form used in Asian rites, as Virgil's curved pipe of Bacchus.^[4] Pliny the Elder credits Midas with inventing the transverse pipe.^[4] In medicine it meant the shin-bone, as in Celsus, and by extension the leg.^[4][6] A pipe-player was a tībīcen.^[2]

In Medieval Latin it was the shin-bone, also of an animal used as an ice skate.^[7] It survives in French tige “stem”.^[1] English tibia was borrowed in both senses in the late 14th century.^[3]

Timeline

• 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of the pipe of the Muses.^[4][5]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of a pair of pipes.^[4][5]
• 14–37 AD – Celsus uses it of the shin-bone.^[4][5]
• late 14th century – English tibia is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. A reed pipe.^[4]
2. The shin-bone, tibia.^[4]

Word family

• tībiālis
• tībiārius
• tībīcen
• tībīcina
• tibinus

Related words

• tībīcinium
• tībīcinō
• English tibia

References

1. ^ a b c d e 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 Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ 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