volucer

Forms

volucer (feminine volucris, neuter volucre, adverb volucriter); third-declension three-termination adjective^[1] Petronius has a feminine nominative volucer and Silius a masculine volucris;^[2][3] Cicero, quoted by Charisius, has the genitive plural volucrium.^[3]

Etymology

It is formed from volō (“to fly”), with an ending like that of alacer.^[2][1] Wiktionary takes the nominative to be syncopated from ⟨*wolukris⟩, earlier ⟨*woluklis⟩;^[1] de Vaan reports Walde–Hofmann's old ⟨l⟩-stem ⟨*voluclis⟩ but finds the ⟨u⟩ unexplained.^[4] He also notes Muller's derivation of ⟨volō⟩ from Proto-Indo-European *gʷelh₁- (“to raise the arm, throw”), which Walde–Hofmann reject.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Naevius.^[5] The OLD quotes a tragedy of Livius Andronicus, of a sword-belt's folds blown by the wind, and Lucilius' winged snakes.^[2]

Semantic evolution

It is able to fly or flying, of creatures, of missiles, as Virgil's swift arrow drawn from the quiver, of things carried by the wind, and of heavenly phenomena.^[2][1] It is also travelling as swift as flight, winged, as Pacuvius' flying chariot, and of movement swift or rapid, as Lucretius' images borne with such quick lightness.^[2] Of things that pass quickly it is fleeting or transitory, as Lucretius' clouds that colour places with their passing light.^[2][3]

Church Latin glosses it “flying”.^[6]

Timeline

• 280/260–before 200 BC – Livius Andronicus of folds carried by the wind.^[2][5]
• c. 235–200 BC – In Naevius.^[5]
• 220–130 BC – Pacuvius of a winged chariot.^[2][5]
• c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius of winged snakes.^[2][5]
• 96–55 BC – Lucretius of swift images and fleeting clouds.^[2][5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Able to fly, flying, winged.^[2][3][1][6]
2. Swift as flight, rapid.^[2]
3. Passing quickly, fleeting, transitory.^[2]

Word family

• volucripēs
• volucritās
• volucriter

Related words

• volō
• volucris
• alacer

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ 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
5. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson