somnus Latin · revision 17909

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=204–169 BC, Ennius|origins=ine-pro *swépnos}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈsɔm.nʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈsɔm.nus]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''somnus''' ''m'' (genitive somnī); second declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|itc-pro|*swepnos]], [[inh|ine-pro|*swépnos|t=sleep]], which regularly became ⟨somnus⟩ through ⟨*swopno-⟩; de Vaan, in view of the Celtic forms, slightly prefers a Proto-Italic ⟨*swopno-⟩.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)^(OLD 2012) He takes the PIE noun to be a thematized form of the r/n-stem seen in [[sopor]], from the root [[m|ine-pro|*swep-|t=to sleep]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ Cognate with [[sga|súan|t=sleep]], [[cy|hun]], [[sa|स्वप्न|tr=svápna|t=sleep, dream]], [[grc|ὕπνος|tr=húpnos]], [[lt|sapnas|t=dream]], [[cu|сънъ|tr=sŭnŭ|t=sleep]], [[non|svefn]] and [[hit|šupp-|t=to sleep]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan dates it from Plautus.^(de Vaan 2008) Ennius, in the first book of the ''Annals'', has ''somnō lēnī placidōque revinctus'', “bound in gentle, peaceful sleep”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Somnus'' is sleep, often in the plural with the same sense, and then sleepiness and, figuratively, sloth, inactivity (Cicero mocks the ''somnus'' of Lentulus).^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary) Figuratively it can mean death.^(Wiktionary) Döderlein says ''somnus'' is the ordinary word, ''[[sopor]]'' the poetic one, which in prose means something that brings on sleep.^(Döderlein 1874)

+

+ Church Latin glosses it “sleep”.^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 204–169 BC – Ennius: ''somnō lēnī placidōque revinctus''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: ''et vāpulandō et somnō pereō'', “I'm dying from beatings and sleepiness”.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 170–c. 90 BC – Accius: ''sēgnīs somnō et tarditūdine'', “sluggish with sleep and slowness”.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero says he need not fear the ''somnus'' of Publius Lentulus, his sloth.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|sleep]], [[m|en|slumber]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)

+ # Sleepiness, drowsiness.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Sloth, idleness, inactivity.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(figurative)'' Death.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[dēsomnis]]

+ * [[exsomnis]]

+ * [[īnsomnis]]

+ * [[sēmisomnus]]

+ * [[somniculus]]

+ * [[somnifer]]

+ * [[somnificus]]

+ * [[somniger]]

+ * [[somniosus]]

+ * [[somnium]]

+ * [[somnolentus]]

+ * [[somnurnus]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[sōpiō]]

+ * [[sopor]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}