ensis Latin · revision 30803

+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|attested=234–149 BC, Cato}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [ˈẽː.sɪs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [ˈɛn.sis]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''ēnsis''' ''m'' (genitive ēnsis); third declension^(Wiktionary)

+ Varro has the ablative ''ensī''.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The origin is uncertain.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan sets up [[itc-pro|*ensi-|t=sword]] and, with a question mark, [[ine-pro|*h₁ensi-|t=sword, large knife]], but finds all the proposed cognates doubtful:^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) the comparison with [[sa|असि|tr=así|t=sword]], made by the OLD and Lewis & Short, is questioned by Mayrhofer, the Palaic word for a dagger has no nasal, and [[grc|ἄορ|tr=áor|t=sword]] is hard to connect.^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan and Köbler date it from Cato.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010) Lucretius and Cicero's poetry have it.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Ēnsis'' is a sword, used almost only in poetry.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Lewis & Short 1879) According to Quintilian it means the same as ''[[gladius]]'', and the TLL counts the two words by author: the poets and Seneca's tragedies prefer ''ēnsis'', prose ''gladius''.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(TLL) Döderlein calls ''gladius'' the usual word for a sword and ''ēnsis'' the select, poetic one.^(Döderlein 1874)

+

+ Church Latin glosses it “sword, sword blade”.^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 234–149 BC – Cato uses it.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 96–55 BC – Lucretius has it.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian treats it as a poetic synonym of ''gladius''.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|sword]], [[m|en|brand]] (chiefly poetic).^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[ensiculus]]

+ * [[ēnsifer]]

+ * [[ēnsiger]]

+ * [[ensipotens]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[gladius]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}