vitis

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈwiː.tɪs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈviː.tis]^[1]

Forms

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

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *wīti-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *uh₁i-ti- (“weaving”), a noun in *-ti- from the root of vieō “to plait”.^[2][3] Cognate with Lithuanian výtis (“withy”) and Old High German wīda (“willow”).^[3] De Vaan compares the PIE etymology of vīnum “wine”.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Ennius calls Lyaeus the inventor of the sacred vine.^[3][2] Köbler dates Ennius 204–169 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

In Classical Latin it was the grapevine, as Cato's layering a vine in a basket and Virgil's half-pruned vine on the elm, and a single shoot or cane.^[3][5] It was the vine staff of a Roman centurion, the sign of his rank, a marine plant in Pliny, and a siege shelter, like vīnea.^[3][1]

In Christian Latin it was applied to Christ, from John 15, “I am the vine”, and vītis silvestris was the wild vine.^[6] In medieval Latin it also meant a vineyard.^[7] It survives as Italian vite and Spanish vid.^[1]

Timeline

• 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it.^[3][4]
• 234–149 BC – Cato gives instructions for layering vines.^[3][4]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil mentions a half-pruned vine on an elm.^[3][4]

Meanings

Noun

1. A grapevine, vine.^[3][8]
2. A shoot or cane of a vine.^[3][5]
3. A centurion's vine staff.^[3][1]
4. A siege shelter.^[3]
5. (Medieval Latin) A vineyard.^[7]

Word family

• vīticula

Related words

• vieō
• vīnum

Usage notes

Isidore says Noah first planted the vine, and calls Christ the vine because we are redeemed by his blood.^[9]

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 i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ 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
7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
9. ^ Isidore of Seville, Etymologiarum sive Originum libri XX, ed. W. M. Lindsay (Oxford, 1911).