canis Latin · revision 18116

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=280/260–before 200 BC, Livius Andronicus|origins=ine-pro *ḱwṓ}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈka.nɪs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈkaː.nis]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''canis''' ''m'' or f (genitive canis); third declension^(Wiktionary)

+ The older nominative ''canēs'' is found once each in Ennius, Plautus, Lucilius and Varro.^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)

+ The ablative is always ''cane'' and the genitive plural ''canum''.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|itc-pro|*kō]], [[inh|ine-pro|*ḱwṓ|t=dog]] (accusative ⟨*ḱwon-m̥⟩, genitive ⟨*ḱun-os⟩).^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) The ablative ⟨cane⟩ and genitive plural ⟨canum⟩ show an old consonant stem, so the nominative was first ⟨canēs⟩; de Vaan explains the vowel /a/ by a change of ⟨*wo⟩ to ⟨*wa⟩ in the accusative ⟨*kwanem⟩, on which a new paradigm was built.^(de Vaan 2008) The TLL also notes the unexpected vowel.^(TLL)

+

+ Cognate with [[sga|cú|t=dog]], [[cy|ci]], [[sa|श्वन्|tr=śván-]], [[grc|κύων|tr=kúōn]], [[hy|շուն|tr=šun]], [[lt|šuõ]], [[got|𐌷𐌿𐌽𐌳𐍃|tr=hunds]] and [[ang|hund]], all “dog”.^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012) Ancient scholars linked it with [[m|la|canō|t=to sing]].^(TLL)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Köbler dates it from Livius Andronicus;^(Köbler 2010) de Vaan from Plautus.^(de Vaan 2008) Ennius has ''sī mē canis memorderit'', “if a dog has bitten me”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Canis'' is “a dog, hound”, male or female.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary) Applied to people it is a term of abuse for a snarling or shameless person, and also for a watchdog or a hanger-on.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) It names the Dog Star, Sirius, or the constellation Canis Major (Cicero's Aratea: ''fervidus ille canis'', “that burning dog”), the lowest throw at dice (Propertius), and with ''marīnus'' a dogfish or shark.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) In Plautus it seems to be a restraint for criminals, carried with the ''furca''.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ Church Latin glosses it “dog”.^(Stelten 1995) Köbler records it widely in the early medieval laws.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 280/260–before 200 BC – Livius Andronicus uses it.^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 204–169 BC – Ennius: ''sī mē canis memorderit''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of a restraint for criminals.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero: ''fervidus ille canis'', of the Dog Star.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 57/46–12 BC – Propertius uses it of the worst throw at dice.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

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

+ # ''(of persons)'' A dog (as abuse); a watchdog, hanger-on.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The Dog Star, [[m|en|Sirius]]; the constellation Canis Major.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The lowest throw at dice.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''canis marīnus'': a [[m|en|dogfish]], shark.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A restraint for criminals.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[canārius]]

+ * [[canātim]]

+ * [[canīcula]]

+ * [[canīculāris]]

+ * [[canīculus]]

+ * [[canifōrmis]]

+ * [[canīnus]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[catulus]]

+ * [[en|hound]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}