hiatus Latin · revision 31954

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=96–55 BC, Lucretius|origins=ine-pro *ǵʰh₁i-eh₂-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [hiˈaː.tʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [iˈaː.tus]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''hiātus''' ''m'' (genitive hiātūs); fourth declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|la|hiō|-tus|t1=to gape]], a noun of action.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(TLL) De Vaan traces [[m|la|hiō]] to [[itc-pro|*χi-ā-]] and [[ine-pro|*ǵʰh₁i-eh₂-|t=to gape, be wide open]].^(de Vaan 2008) Cognate with [[lt|žióti|t=to open the mouth]], [[non|gína|t=to yawn]] and [[goh|ginēn|t=to be wide open]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Köbler dates it from Lucretius,^(Köbler 2010) who speaks of the deep gap of the sky above the earth.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It means the act of gaping or splitting open, as in Cicero's sudden openings of the earth, and the opening so formed, a fissure or a chasm such as the one Gyges went down into.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) It is also a wide-open mouth: Varro wants dogs with a large gape.^(OLD 2012) Tacitus uses it for greedy desire, a gaping after rewards.^(OLD 2012) In prosody it is the meeting of two vowels, as in Quintilian.^(OLD 2012) English took it in the 1560s for a break or opening, and in the sense gap or interruption from the 1610s.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 96–55 BC – Lucretius of the gap of the sky.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero of chasms in the earth.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian of the clash of vowels.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 98–115 AD – Tacitus of greed for rewards.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 1560s – Borrowed into English as [[m|en|hiatus]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The act of gaping or splitting open.^(OLD 2012)

+ # An [[m|en|opening]], [[m|en|fissure]]; a [[m|en|chasm]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A wide-open mouth or jaws.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # Greedy desire.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(prosody)'' [[m|en|hiatus|alt=Hiatus]].^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}