Etymologically
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vascellum

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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]

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