aureus Latin · revision 18148

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=280/260–before 200 BC, Livius Andronicus|origins=ine-pro *h₂é-h₂us-o-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈau̯.re.ʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈaːu̯.re.us]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''aureus''' (feminine aurea, neuter aureum); first/second-declension adjective^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed [[af|la|aurum|-eus|t1=gold]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) [[m|la|aurum]] goes back to [[itc-pro|*auso-]], and Driessen reconstructs a reduplicated [[ine-pro|*h₂é-h₂us-o-|t=glow]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Köbler dates it from Livius Andronicus, the author of the OLD's first citation.^(Köbler 2010)^(OLD 2012) Plautus has ''Amphitruōnī patera dōnāta aurea est'', “Amphitryon was given a golden bowl”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Aureus'' is “made of gold” (Cicero: ''nōn inaurāta statua, sed aurea'', “not a gilded statue but a golden one”), “gilded”, and of rivers “gold-bearing”.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary) It is “golden, shining like gold” (Ennius: ''aureus exoritur sōl'', “the golden sun rises”), and “splendid, beautiful” (Plautus: ''ocellus aureus'', “golden eye”, as an endearment, Virgil: ''Venus aurea'').^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) ''Aurea aetās'' and ''aurea saecula'' are the Golden Age under Saturn.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ As a noun ''aureus'' is a gold coin, worth twenty-five silver denarii at Rome.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995) Church Latin glosses the adjective “golden, of gold”.^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 280/260–before 200 BC – Livius Andronicus uses it.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 204–169 BC – Ennius: ''aureus exoritur sōl''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: a golden bowl;^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010) ''ocellus aureus''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 70–19 BC – Virgil: ''aurea … saecula''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Made of [[m|en|gold]], golden.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)

+ # Gilded.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Gold-bearing.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Golden, shining like gold.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Splendid, beautiful, excellent.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''aurea aetās'': the [[m|en|Golden Age]].^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A gold [[m|en|coin]] worth twenty-five denarii.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[aureātus]]

+ * [[aureolus]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[aurum]]

+ * [[aurātus]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}