vinea

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈwiː.ne.a]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈviː.ne.a]^[1]

Forms

vīnea f (genitive vīneae); first declension^[1] Also spelled vīnia.^[2]

Etymology

It is the noun use of vīneus (“of wine”), from vīnum (“wine”) and -eus.^[2][1] ⟨vīnum⟩ is inherited from Proto-Italic *wīno-, which de Vaan traces to an ⟨n⟩-stem ⟨*u̯ih₁-n-⟩ “vine, wine”, from a root “to weave, wrap”, the vine being “the twining one”.^[3] Cognates of ⟨vīnum⟩ include Umbrian ⟨vinu⟩, Ancient Greek οἶνος (oînos, “wine”) and Hittite u̯ii̯an- (“wine”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is Plautus, of the vines of a vineyard, and Köbler lists the Twelve Tables.^[2][4] Köbler dates the Twelve Tables c. 450 BC and Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant the vines of a vineyard collectively, set out in rows, and so a vineyard, or a single vine as in Cato.^[2][5] From Lucilius it was a military term for a movable shed that sheltered men at a siege, probably for its resemblance to a row of trellised vines.^[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it means vineyard, vine, and British Medieval Latin used it also figuratively.^[6][7] It survives as Italian vigna, French vigne and Romanian vie, and English vine (c. 1300) is from it through Old French.^[1][8]

Timeline

• c. 450 BC – The Twelve Tables have it.^[4]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of a vineyard.^[2][4]
• c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius uses it of a siege shed.^[2][4]
• c. 1300 – English vine is recorded.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. The vines of a vineyard; a vineyard.^[2][5]
2. A vine.^[5]
3. (military) A movable shed protecting soldiers at a siege.^[2]

Word family

• vīneārius

Related words

• vīnitor
• vīnolentia
• vīnōsus
• vīnum
• vītis
• English vine
• English vignette

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
7. ^ 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
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com