vestis

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈwɛs.tɪs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈvɛs.tis]^[1]

Forms

vestis f (genitive vestis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *westi- (“clothes”), from the root Proto-Indo-European *wes- (“to be dressed”).^[2][1] De Vaan takes it as an independent Latin formation, since Sanskrit वस्ति (vastí-) is attested only late.^[2] Cognate with Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐍃𐍄𐌹 (wasti, “garment”), Ancient Greek ἕννυμι (hénnumi, “to clothe”), Sanskrit वस्ते (váste, “wears”) and English wear.^[1][3] Varro derived it from vellus “fleece”, because wool was plucked.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan and Köbler date it from Livius Andronicus, who speaks of dark clothing.^[2][5][3] Köbler dates Livius Andronicus 280/260–before 200 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant one's attire or costume, clothing in general, and then cloth used as hangings or coverings, such as the coverlets of couches.^[3] Vestem mūtāre meant to put on mourning.^[6]

In medieval Latin it could mean a tapestry.^[7] It survives in Italian veste and Spanish veste, and Italian veste passed through French veste to English vest in the 1610s.^[1][8] Its derivative vestīmentum gave English vestment about 1200.^[8]

Timeline

• 280/260–before 200 BC – Livius Andronicus speaks of dark clothing.^[3][5]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus has two people exchanging clothes and names.^[3][5]
• c. 1200 – English vestment is recorded.^[8]
• 1610s – English vest is recorded.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. Clothing, dress, attire.^[3]
2. Clothes collectively, (plural) garments.^[3]
3. Cloth, drapery, coverlets.^[3]
4. (Medieval Latin) A tapestry.^[7]

Word family

• vestiō
• vestīmentum
• vestītus
• vestiārius
• trānsvestiō

Related words

• English vest
• English vestment

Usage notes

Döderlein calls vestis the most general word for clothing, while vestīmentum can be a single garment, and he contrasts vestem mūtāre “to go into mourning” with vestīmenta mūtāre “to change one's clothes”.^[6]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f 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. ^ Marcus Terentius Varro, De lingua Latina (text of The Latin Library; book and paragraph numbers as there).
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com