Etymologically
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venor

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈweː.nɔr][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈvɛː.nor][1]

Forms

vēnor (present infinitive vēnārī or vēnārier, perfect active vēnātus sum); first conjugation, deponent[1]

Etymology

It is probably a denominative verb from Proto-Italic *wēno- (“hunting”) or *wēnā- “hunt”, from a root Proto-Indo-European *(H)wenh₁- (“to desire, strive for”).[2] Cognate with Sanskrit वनति (vánati, “desires, wins”), Hittite wen- (“to copulate”) and English win.[2][3] The OLD and Wiktionary also mention a root *weyh₁- “to pursue”, seen in Lithuanian vejù (“I chase”).[3][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Plautus, where a character asks Bromius (Bacchus) why he calls him to hunt in the woods.[2][3] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to go hunting, and with an object to hunt animals, as Plautus' “go and hunt a hare” and Virgil's “I shall hunt fierce boars”.[3] Figuratively it was to hunt for or chase after something, as praise, or in Horace the votes of the fickle people.[5][6]

Its derivatives vēnātiō “hunt, game” and vēnātor “hunter” belong with it, and vēnātiō gave Old French venoison and English venison about 1300.[7] The verb survives in Romanian vâna.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus has someone called to go hunting.[3][4]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil says “I shall hunt fierce boars”.[3][4]
  • c. 1300 – English venison is recorded.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To go hunting.[3]
  2. To hunt (animals).[3]
  3. (figurative) To hunt for, chase after.[5][6]

Word family

  • vēnābulum
  • vēnātiō
  • vēnātor
  • vēnātus
  • English venison

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b 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 Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com