vacca

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈwak.ka]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈvak.ka]^[1]

Forms

vacca f (genitive vaccae); first declension^[1]

Etymology

The origin is uncertain.^[2][1] It has been compared with Sanskrit वशा (vaśā́, “cow”), from a possible Proto-Indo-European *weḱ-eh₂, but Latin would then need an o-grade, and de Vaan points out that *o became a only in open syllables, so the comparison holds only if Proto-Italic had an unexplained geminate.^[2][1] He follows instead a suggestion that it comes from a pre-form *vākā, linked to Sanskrit वाशति (vā́śati, “roars”) and to Latin vāgiō, so that the cow would be “the bellowing one” from an imitative root Proto-Indo-European *weh₂-.^[2][1] Pokorny explained the double c as the consonant lengthening common in animal names,^[3] and Köbler gives the root as Proto-Indo-European *wā̆kā.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first author is Varro, in the 1st century BC,^[2][4] who uses it of the cow in his work on farming.^[5][6]

Semantic evolution

The word kept the plain sense “cow” throughout Latin, contrasting with taurus “bull”;^[7][8] Columella distinguishes working cows used for ploughing.^[5] Its Romance descendants continue the same meaning: DÉRom reconstructs Proto-Romance */ˈβakk-a/ for French vache, Italian vacca, Spanish vaca and Romanian vacă.^[9]

Medieval texts use it also as the name of a kitchen implement of iron.^[10]

Timeline

• 116–27 BC – Varro uses it for the cow.^[2][4]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it in the Eclogues, the Georgics and the Aeneid.^[5][4]
• 1st century AD – Columella writes of cows used for ploughing.^[5][4]
• 1218 – An inventory lists vaccas ferri, an iron kitchen implement.^[10]

Meanings

Noun

1. A cow.^[7][5][8]
2. (Medieval Latin) An iron kitchen implement.^[10]

Related words

• vāgiō
• English vaccine

Usage notes

The derivative vaccinus “of cows” is the source of English vaccine.^[11]

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. ^ Pokorny, Julius (1959), Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Bern; Munich: Francke
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 Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ a b Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
8. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
9. ^ Buchi, Éva; Schweickard, Wolfgang, eds. (2008–), Dictionnaire Étymologique Roman (DÉRom), Nancy: ATILF, http://www.atilf.fr/DERom
10. ^ 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
11. ^ Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com