polenta Latin · revision 33027

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=derivation|attested=c. 250–184 BC, Plautus|origins=la pollen}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [pɔˈɫɛn.ta]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [poˈlɛn.ta]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''polenta''' ''f'' (genitive polentae); first declension^(Wiktionary)

+ A neuter ''polentum'' also occurs.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(TLL)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[der|la|pollen|t=fine flour]], with the collective suffix ⟨-ta⟩;^(OLD 2012)^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)^(Wiktionary) the TLL takes it as originally an adjective “provided with fine flour”, with the double ⟨ll⟩ of ⟨*pollen-ta⟩ simplified before the accented syllable, as in [[m|la|mamilla]] beside [[m|la|mamma]].^(TLL) De Vaan reconstructs [[itc-pro|*pol-ēn]] or [[itc-pro|*pol-n-]] and [[ine-pro|*pol(H)-n-]], with a query, and compares [[grc|πάλη|tr=pálē|t=fine flour, dust]] and [[grc|πόλτος|tr=póltos|t=thick pap of flour]], which are not close formal matches; within Latin [[m|la|puls|t=porridge]] may be related.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan dates it from Plautus,^(de Vaan 2008) who has men who pound barley groats in the ''Asinaria''.^(Lewis & Short 1879) Köbler's first author is Cato.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It is hulled and crushed grain, especially barley groats or barley meal.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Cato, Columella and Pliny the Elder use it.^(Lewis & Short 1879) A neuter ''polentum'' occurs in Caelius Aurelianus and a neuter plural ''polenta'' in Macrobius.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(TLL) Church Latin glosses it barley.^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of pounding groats.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(de Vaan 2008)

+ * 234–149 BC – Cato.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Hulled and crushed grain; [[m|en|barley]] groats, barley meal, pearl barley.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[polentācius]]

+ * [[polentārius]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[pollen]]

+ * [[puls]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}