Etymologically
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trochlea

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈtrɔ.kʰɫe.a][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈtrɔː.kle.a][1]

Forms

trochlea f (genitive trochleae); first declension[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek τροχιλεία (trokhileía, “pulley, block and tackle”),[2][1][3] from τροχίλος (trokhílos, “sheave”),[1] from τροχός (trokhós, “wheel”) and τρέχω (trékhō, “to run”).[4][5] Lewis & Short and Georges give the Greek as τροχαλία (trokhalía).[6][7] Spellings include trochilēa and troclea.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Cato, in On Agriculture, mentions pulleys.[6] Köbler dates Cato 234–149 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It was a block with pulleys, a block and tackle for raising weights, in Cato, Lucretius and Vitruvius.[2][6][8] Quintilian uses a proverb about bringing up phlegm as if with pulleys, of someone straining to speak.[8]

In medieval British Latin it was a wheel, roller or winding device, also in a loom or wine-press.[3] English truckle “small wheel” is recorded in the late 14th century through Anglo-French trocle, and English trochlea is a learned borrowing.[4][1]

Timeline

  • 234–149 BC – Cato mentions pulleys.[6][5]
  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it.[6][5]
  • c. 84–c. 25 BC – Vitruvius describes it.[6][5]
  • late 14th century – English truckle is recorded.[4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A pulley block, block and tackle.[2][1]
  2. (Medieval Latin) A wheel, roller; a winding device.[3]

Word family

  • trochleatim

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c 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
  4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b c d e f Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  8. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.