vesper Latin · revision 2937

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=Plautus|origins=ine-pro *wek⁽ʷ⁾speros}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈwɛs.pɛr]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈvɛs.per]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''vesper''' ''m'' (genitive vesperī or vesperis); variously declined, second declension, third declension^(Wiktionary)

+ A feminine ''vespera'' is also used, and the locative ''vesperi'' means “in the evening”.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|itc-pro|*we(k)spero-]], [[inh|ine-pro|*ue-k(ʷ)sp-er-o-|t=evening]], a compound of an element *ue- and a word for “night”, [[ine-pro|*k(ʷ)sep-]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Cognate with [[cy|ucher|t=evening]] and [[grc|ἕσπερος|tr=hésperos|t=evening]],^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012) and, from the word for “night”, with [[hit|išpant-|t=night]] and [[sa|क्षप्|tr=kṣáp-|t=night]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is found from Plautus onwards,^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010) who has a slave say that trouble is ready for the old man “by evening”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant the [[m|en|evening]], as in Cicero's man who drank until evening and Caesar's ''sub vesperum'', “towards evening”.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) It was also the Evening Star, the planet Venus, as in Catullus and Virgil, and the west, the quarter of the evening sky.^(OLD 2012) From it came ''vesperna'' “supper” and ''vespertilio'' “bat”.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ In Christian Latin it was the evening office, [[m|en|vespers]].^(Niermeyer 1976)^(Köbler 2010) It survives as Italian ''vespro'' and French ''vêpres''.^(Wiktionary) English ''vesper'' meant the evening star in the late 14th century, and ''vespers'' the evening office from the 1610s.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it for the evening.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus uses it for the Evening Star.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses ''ad vesperum'', “till evening”.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it for the west.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 529 – Church councils use it for the evening office.^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 1610s – English ''vespers'' is first recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The [[m|en|evening]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # The Evening Star.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The west.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(Ecclesiastical Latin)'' [[m|en|Vespers]].^(Niermeyer 1976)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[vesperāscit]]

+ * [[uesperna]]

+ * [[vespertīliō]]

+ * [[vespertīnus]]

+ * [[vesperūgō]]

+ * [[vesperus]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[vespera]]

+ * [[en|vesper]]

+ * [[en|vespers]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}