pestis Latin · revision 30796

+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|attested=204–169 BC, Ennius}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [ˈpɛs.tɪs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [ˈpɛs.tis]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''pestis''' ''f'' (genitive pestis); third declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The origin is uncertain.^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)^(Etymonline) De Vaan rejects Walde's ⟨*per-sitis⟩ “great thirst” and mentions Bartholomae's analysis of [[ae|kapastiš]], the name of an illness, as a pejorative prefix with ⟨*pesti-⟩ “illness”.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) Lewis & Short suggested ⟨*perd-tis⟩, from [[m|la|perdō|t=to destroy]];^(Lewis & Short 1879) the TLL thinks it may be formed with an old suffix ⟨-ti-⟩ like [[m|la|vestis]] and [[m|la|vītis]], but finds nothing certain.^(TLL)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Köbler first records it in Ennius,^(Köbler 2010) who has ''quī alterī exitium parat, eum scīre oportet sibi parātam pestem'', “he who plots another's ruin should know that destruction is prepared for himself”, and ''hōs pestis necuit'', “plague killed these”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Pestis'' is physical destruction or death, and a plague or epidemic (Plautus: ''pestis tē tenet'', “you have the plague”), also unhealthy air or weather.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) It is applied to anything that brings death, a person, an animal or a force of nature, then to the overthrow of persons and states, “ruin”, and to whatever ruins them, “a curse, a bane”: Cicero calls Antony's return ''pestis patriae''.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Döderlein contrasts ''[[luēs]]'', disease from impure matter, ''contāgium'', a contagious one, and ''[[pestilentia]]'', a disease reigning in the land.^(Döderlein 1874) English [[m|en|pest]] (1550s) comes from it through French.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 204–169 BC – Ennius: ''hōs pestis necuit''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: ''pestis tē tenet''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero: ''pestis patriae''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 1550s – English [[m|en|pest]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Destruction, death.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A [[m|en|plague]], [[m|en|pestilence]], epidemic.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A thing or person that brings death or destruction.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Ruin, disaster, overthrow.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A curse, [[m|en|bane]], a pest.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[pestibilis]]

+ * [[pestifer]]

+ * [[pestilēns]]

+ * [[pestilentus]]

+ * [[pestilis]]

+ * [[pestilentia]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[en|pest]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}