vinca

Forms

vinca f (genitive vincae); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin pervinca (“periwinkle”), by back-formation.^[1] Pliny the Elder calls the plant by the double name ⟨vincapervinca⟩, which Georges connects with vinciō (“to bind”).^[2][3][4] Köbler leaves its origin unexplained.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Ælfric Bata lists it among plants, with the Old English gloss perpince, and the DMLBS counts it as Late Latin.^[6]

Semantic evolution

Old High German glosses render it as berawinka, and Köbler also gives the houseleek among its senses.^[5] A gloss of the 12th century equates it with pervenke.^[6] The botanical genus of the periwinkles is called Vinca.^[1]

Timeline

• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder names the plant vincapervinca.^[2][4][5]
• 12th century – A gloss equates vinca with pervenke.^[6]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Late Latin) The periwinkle, an evergreen plant.^[6][1][5]
2. (in glosses) The houseleek.^[5]

Related words

• English periwinkle

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
4. ^ a b Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b c d 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