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vas

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈwaːs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈvas][1]

Forms

vās n (genitive vāsis); third declension[1]

Etymology

It is the classical form beside pre-classical ⟨vāsum⟩, from Proto-Italic *wāss, cognate with Umbrian vasor (“vessels”); its further origin is uncertain, with no known cognates outside Italic.[1][2] Köbler calls it unclear.[3] Plautus and Cato have the nominative ⟨vāsum⟩.[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus, of a vessel and of equipment.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant a container for liquids or food, a vessel, utensil, as Cicero's and Horace's, and other containers, especially beehives.[2][5] In the plural it meant equipment, apparatus, and in Livy vāsa colligere “to pack up one's kit”, before breaking camp.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant a vessel, vase, dish.[6] Medieval Latin used vāsa for arms and of a sarcophagus.[7] Its diminutive vāsculum and Late Latin vascellum gave Old French vessel and English vessel about 1300, and English vas is the anatomical term for a duct.[8]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of a vessel.[2][3]
  • 234–149 BC – Cato has the form vāsum.[2][3]
  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses vāsa colligere.[2][3]
  • c. 1300 – English vessel is recorded, from vascellum.[8]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A vessel, container, utensil; a beehive.[2]
  2. (plural) Equipment, kit, vāsa colligere, to pack up.[2]
  3. (Medieval Latin) Arms; a sarcophagus.[7]

Word family

  • English vessel
  • English vase
  • English vas

Usage notes

A different noun vas, genitive vadis, meant a surety who guaranteed a defendant's appearance in court, as in the Law of the Twelve Tables and Cicero's vadem dare; it is compared with Gothic wadi “earnest-money” and Old English wedd “pledge”.[2][5][3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com