versicolor

Forms

versicolor (genitive versicolōris); third-declension one-termination adjective^[1] The ablative singular is ⟨versicolōrī⟩ or ⟨versicolōre⟩.^[2][3] Late collateral forms are ⟨versicolōrus⟩ and ⟨versicolōrius⟩.^[3][4]

Etymology

It is from Latin versō (“to turn”) + color (“colour”).^[1][3] The OLD takes its first part from the participle of vertō (“to turn”).^[2] De Vaan traces color to Proto-Italic *kelōs- (“outside, aspect”) and Proto-Indo-European *ḱel-ōs (“covering”).^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Cicero,^[6] who in De finibus speaks of the changing colours of a dove's feathers, plumae versicolores.^[3][7]

Semantic evolution

The OLD defines it as having colours that change with time or with the angle of view, though in some places it may simply mean variegated.^[2] Livy uses it of parti-coloured garments,^[3][8] Virgil of painted arms in the Aeneid, Ovid of the dress of Flora, and Columella of fruit.^[3] Tertullian calls the peacock many-coloured, varied and changing,^[4] and Quintilian applies it to a style of speaking full of glitter.^[3][8]

In the Digest the neuter plural means dyed woollens, which the old jurists did not count as wool,^[3] and Pliny the Elder uses it of coloured sails.^[3] British medieval writers kept it for many-coloured, as Aldhelm does in his riddles.^[9]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of a dove's iridescent feathers.^[3][6]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of painted arms.^[3][6]
• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of parti-coloured garments.^[3][6]
• c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses it of a showy style.^[3][6]
• 639–709 AD – Aldhelm uses it in his riddles.^[9][6]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of changing colour, iridescent; of various colours, variegated.^[2][3]
2. (of style) Showy, full of glitter.^[3][8]

Noun

1. (neuter plural) Dyed or coloured woollens.^[3]

Related words

• multicolor
• discolor
• varius

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
5. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
6. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
8. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
9. ^ a b Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press