ustulo

Forms

ū̆stulō (present infinitive ū̆stulāre, perfect active ū̆stulāvī, supine ū̆stulātum); first conjugation^[1] The spelling ustilō is found in Vitruvius.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is from Latin ūrō (“to burn”) with the verbal suffix -ulō; the OLD suggests that the ending may follow verbs such as pullulō and ioculor.^[2] Georges calls it a diminutive of the verb.^[3] Wiktionary derives it, probably, from an intermediate *ūstulus (“lightly burned”), made from the participle ūstus with the diminutive suffix -ulus, and compares the diminutive participles acūtulus and pressulus.^[1]

The base verb goes back to Proto-Italic *ouse/o- (“to burn”) and Proto-Indo-European *h₁eus-e/o- (“to burn”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in Catullus, of writings to be burned up with wood (scripta … ustulanda lignis).^[5][6][7]

Semantic evolution

Its usual sense was to burn slightly, char or singe.^[2][5] Vitruvius uses it for charring the surface of stakes so that they do not rot in the ground,^[7][3] and in the Priapea it is used of curling the hair with a hot iron and, figuratively, of frost nipping the buds.^[5][3][2] An inscription has it of a burning, smarting sensation,^[2] and Pliny Valerianus of a medicine that inflames.^[3]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it kept the meaning to singe or burn a little.^[8]

Timeline

• 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus uses it of writings to be burned up.^[5][6][9]
• c. 84–c. 25 BC – Vitruvius uses it, spelled ustilō, of charring stakes.^[3][7][2][9]
• 1st century AD – The Priapea use it of curling hair with a hot iron and of frost damaging buds.^[5][3][2][9]

Meanings

Verb

1. To burn partially, scorch, char, singe.^[2][5][8]
2. To burn up, consume with fire.^[5][1]
3. (figurative) Of frost: to nip, blast (buds or plants).^[2][5]
4. To cause to smart or tingle.^[2]
5. With ferrō: to curl the hair with a hot iron.^[5][3][7]

Word family

• ambustulatus
• sēmiustilō
• sēmiustulō
• semustilō
• sēmustulō

Related words

• ūrō
• ū̆stīcius
• ū̆stiō
• ū̆stor
• ū̆strīna
• ū̆stūra

References

1. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ a b c d e f g h Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ a b c d Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
8. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
9. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de