tripudium

Forms

tripudium n (genitive tripudiī or tripudī); second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Proto-Italic *tri-podo- (“three-step dance”),^[2][1] literally “three-footed”, made from the words for “three” and “foot” (pēs).^[1][3] The older ⟨o⟩ survives in the verb ⟨tripodāre⟩ of the Arval Hymn.^[2][1][4] It has an exact match in the verb Umbrian ahtrepuřatu (“to dance the tripudium”).^[2] De Vaan traces the word for “foot” to Proto-Indo-European *pōd-s (“foot”).^[2]

Cicero, in his work on divination, explains it as a contraction of ⟨terripavium⟩ or ⟨terripudium⟩,^[4] and the epitome of Festus has ⟨terripuvium⟩, which Georges corrects to ⟨terripavium⟩.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan and Köbler date it from Cicero,^[2][6] who uses it in its augural sense: in a letter he writes that he is not predicting from favourable tripudia (nec ex tripudiis solistimis aut soniviis tibi auguror).^[3]

Semantic evolution

In augury the tripudium was the noisy falling to the ground of food from the beaks of the sacred chickens, which was taken as an omen;^[3][4] the most favourable kind was called tripudium sōlistimum.^[5][3] The epitome of Festus explains that the chickens were given porridge because some of it was bound to fall.^[5]

As a dance it was first the ritual dance in triple time of the Salii, the priests who honoured Mars: Livy describes them going through the city singing hymns, with tripudia and solemn dancing.^[3][4] It was also used of dances elsewhere: Catullus of the worshippers of Cybele, Livy of the war dances of the Spaniards and of Gauls going into battle, Tacitus of the Germans, who approved a speech with the clash of arms and dancing.^[3][5]

In Medieval Latin it meant festive dancing and rejoicing in general: Aldhelm uses it of the joy of the Easter vigil,^[7] and other writers of exultation and festivities.^[7][8][9]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of the omen of the sacred chickens.^[3][6]
• 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus uses it of the dances of the worshippers of Cybele.^[3][6]
• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of the dance of the Salii and of war dances.^[3][4][6]
• 98–115 AD – Tacitus uses it of Germans dancing to approve a speech.^[3][6]
• 639–709 AD – Aldhelm uses it of the rejoicing of the Easter vigil.^[7][6]

Meanings

Noun

1. A ritual dance in triple time, at Rome that of the Salii.^[3][4]
2. Any dance, especially a war dance or ecstatic dance.^[3][4][5]
3. (augury) The falling of food from the beaks of the sacred chickens, taken as an omen.^[3][4]
4. (Medieval Latin) Festive dancing; rejoicing, exultation.^[7][9][8]

Word family

• tripudiō

Related words

• sonīvius
• pēs
• sōlistimus

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e 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 g h i j k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c d e f g h Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c d e Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
6. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ a b c d 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
8. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
9. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill