torcularium

Forms

torculārium n (genitive torculāriī or torculārī); second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is the neuter of torculārius (“of a press”) used as a noun,^[1][2] an adjective from Latin torculus (“of a press”) + -ārius.^[1] De Vaan lists it with torculus and torculum (“press”) among the derivatives of torqueō (“to twist”), which goes back to Proto-Italic *torkʷ-eie- and Proto-Indo-European *torkʷ-eie- (“to twist”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Cato has it first, in his book on farming.^[3][4][2]

Semantic evolution

It is a wine or olive press, and also the room that houses it.^[1] After Cato, Lewis & Short cite it from Pliny the Elder, and Georges from Columella and Vitruvius.^[2][5] It means the same as torcular.^[2]

Timeline

• 234–149 BC – Cato, of the press on a farm.^[2][5][3][4]
• c. 84–c. 25 BC – Vitruvius has the noun.^[5][4]
• 1st century AD – Columella has the noun.^[5][4]
• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder has the noun.^[2][4]

Meanings

Noun

1. A wine or olive press.^[1][2][5]
2. A pressing room.^[1]

Related words

• torcular
• torculum
• torqueō
• tormentum

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
2. ^ a b c d e f g Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c 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 e Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn