trua

Forms

trua f (genitive truae); first declension^[1]

Etymology

The origin is disputed.^[2][1] The OLD compares Ancient Greek τορύνη (torúnē, “stirring ladle”) and suggests that it may be a back-formation from Latin trulla (“ladle, scoop”).^[2] Pokorny and Köbler place both words under Proto-Indo-European *tu̯er- (“to turn, whirl”).^[3][4] Wiktionary presumes *terkʷ- (“to turn”), the root of torqueō (“to twist”), or else *(s)twerH- (“to turn, stir, agitate”).^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in the comic playwright Titinius, of a cook's large ladle for stirring a boiling pot: cocus magnum ahenum, quando fervit, paula confutat trua.^[2][4]

Semantic evolution

Pomponius also has it.^[2][5] Varro explains it as a vessel with which water is poured from the kitchen into the scullery,^[2] which L&S take as perhaps a drain or spout and Georges as a gutter.^[5][6] The epitome of Festus describes it as the implement with which cooks stir the entrails.^[2][4] A statute of the clothmakers of Carcassonne, renewed in 1466, forbids carding cloth with a trua.^[7]

Timeline

• late 2nd or early 1st century BC – Titinius uses it for a cook's ladle.^[2][4]
• 116–27 BC – Varro uses it for a vessel for pouring water from the kitchen.^[2][4]
• 8th century AD – Paul the Deacon's epitome of Festus explains it as a cook's stirring implement.^[4]
• 1466 – A Carcassonne statute names it as a tool for carding cloth.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. A large cook's ladle or stirring spoon; a skimmer.^[2][5][8]
2. A scoop or vessel for pouring away water; perhaps a drain or sink.^[2][5][9]
3. (Medieval Latin) A tool used in carding cloth.^[7]

Word family

• truō

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ Pokorny, Julius (1959), Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Bern; Munich: Francke
4. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
7. ^ a b c du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
8. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
9. ^ Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier