umerus Latin · revision 18071

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 250–184 BC, Plautus|origins=ine-pro *h₂om-es-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈʊ.mɛ.rʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈuː.me.rus]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''umerus''' ''m'' (genitive umerī); second declension^(Wiktionary)

+ The spelling ''humerus'' is frequent in manuscripts and some editions, though not correct.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|itc-pro|*omes-o-]], [[inh|ine-pro|*h₂om-es-|t=shoulder]], with ⟨-s-⟩ becoming ⟨-r-⟩ between vowels.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) Cognate with Umbrian [[m|xum|onse|t=on the shoulder]], [[sa|अंस|tr=áṃsa|t=shoulder]], [[grc|ὦμος|tr=ômos|t=shoulder]], [[got|𐌰𐌼𐍃𐌰𐌽𐍃|tr=amsans|t=shoulders]] and Tocharian B [[m|txb|āntse|t=shoulder]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012) De Vaan rejects a link with [[hit|anašša-|t=lower back]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan and Köbler date it from Plautus,^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010) who describes a little cloak ''cōnexum in umerō laevō'', “fastened on the left shoulder”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Umerus'' is the shoulder of a person, and the corresponding part of an animal; in Celsus it is the bone of the upper arm.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary) Because the shoulders carry burdens, it is used figuratively of bearing a charge (Cicero: the state rests on your shoulders).^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) It is also the “shoulder” of a hill, of a building, and of a stretch of coast (Pliny the Elder of Rhegium on the shoulder of Italy), and in Columella the side branches of a tree.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Church Latin glosses it “shoulder, upper arm”.^(Stelten 1995) English [[m|en|humerus]] comes from the spelling ''humerus'', first in the 14th century for “shoulder”; it has named the bone since 1706.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: ''cōnexum in umerō laevō''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero of the strength of oxen's shoulders.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 14–37 AD – Celsus of the bone of the upper arm.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 1706 – English [[m|en|humerus]] for the bone.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

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

+ # ''(anatomy)'' The bone of the upper arm, [[m|en|humerus]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The shoulders as bearing a burden.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The “shoulder” of a hill, building or coast.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(plural)'' The side branches of a tree.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[umerāle]]

+ * [[umerulus]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[armus]]

+ * [[en|humerus]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}