vascellum

Forms

vāscellum n (genitive vāscellī); second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is a diminutive of vās “vessel”, through vāsculum.^[2][1][3] De Vaan finds no etymology for ⟨vās⟩ beyond Proto-Italic ⟨*wāss-⟩, with Umbrian ⟨vasus⟩ “vessels”.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lewis & Short cite an inscription, of a small urn, and Köbler lists the Itala.^[5][6] Köbler dates the Itala after 220 AD.^[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant apparently a small urn or casket for ashes, as in an inscription, and a small vessel, as in Pliny Valerianus.^[2][5][3]

Medieval Latin used it for a small urn, a beehive, and in the plural vessels, plate.^[7] It survives as Italian vascello “vessel, ship”, Catalan vaixell and French vaisselle “dishes”, and English vessel (c. 1300) comes from it through Old French vessel.^[1][8]

Timeline

• after 220 AD – The Itala uses it.^[6]
• c. 1300 – English vessel is recorded.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. A small urn; a small vessel.^[2][3]
2. (Medieval Latin) A beehive, (plural) vessels, plate.^[7]

Related words

• vās
• vāsculum
• English vessel

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
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 Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
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