auricula Latin · revision 32711

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 250–184 BC, Plautus|origins=ine-pro *h₂eu(-)s-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [au̯ˈrɪ.kʊ.ɫa]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [au̯ˈriː.ku.la]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''auricula''' ''f'' (genitive auriculae); first declension^(Wiktionary)

+ It is also spelled ''ōricula''.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|la|auris|-cula|t1=ear]], a diminutive.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(TLL) De Vaan traces [[m|la|auris]] to [[itc-pro|*aus(i)-|t=ear]] and [[ine-pro|*h₂eu(-)s-|t=ear]], comparing [[sga|áu|t=ear]], [[grc|οὖς|tr=oûs|t=ear]] and [[lt|ausìs|t=ear]].^(de Vaan 2008) The grammarian Velius Longus explains it as standing for ⟨audiculae⟩, from hearing.^(TLL)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan and Köbler date it from Plautus,^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010) in whose ''Asinaria'' someone says “take me by the ears, put your lips to mine”.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It is the external ear, the earlobe, and in general the ear.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary) Offering or touching the ear was a sign of agreeing to be a witness, as in Horace's ''oppōnō auriculam''.^(OLD 2012) It is also the ear as the organ of hearing: Horace says soft ears delight in hearing a man's first name.^(OLD 2012) ''Auricula mūrīna'', “mouse-ear”, is a plant in Scribonius Largus.^(OLD 2012) Isidore says it is called ''ōta'' in Greek.^(TLL) Wiktionary lists among its descendants [[m|fro|oreille]], [[m|it|orecchia]], [[m|ro|ureche]] and [[m|ca|orella]].^(Wiktionary) English [[m|en|auricle]] was borrowed from Latin in the early 15th century for a chamber of the heart and in the 1650s for the external ear.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of taking someone by the ears.^(OLD 2012)^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 65–8 BC – Horace of offering the ear and of soft ears.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 47 AD – Scribonius Largus of the plant mouse-ear.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * early 15th century – English ''auricle'' for a chamber of the heart.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The external [[m|en|ear]], earlobe; the ear.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)

+ # ''auriculam oppōnere'', to offer the ear (in agreeing to be a witness).^(OLD 2012)

+ # The ear as the organ of hearing; attention.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''auricula mūrīna'', a plant, mouse-ear.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[auriculāris]]

+ * [[auricularius]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[auris]]

+ * [[en|auricle]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}