venefica Latin · revision 33340

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 250–184 BC, Plautus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [wɛˈneː.fɪ.ka]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [veˈnɛː.fi.ka]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''venēfica''' ''f'' (genitive venēficae); first declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is the feminine of [[m|la|venēficus|t=poisoning; magical; a poisoner, sorcerer]], used as a noun.^(Wiktionary)^(Lewis & Short 1879) [[m|la|venēficus]] is formed from [[m|la|venēnum|t=drug, poison]] and [[m|la|-ficus]], from [[m|la|faciō|t=to make]].^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010) De Vaan derives ⟨venēnum⟩ from [[itc-pro|*wenes-no-]], built on [[m|la|venus|t=desire, love]];^(de Vaan 2008) Walde and Hofmann thought it first meant a love potion, which would place it in sorcery.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Köbler dates it from Plautus,^(Köbler 2010) who uses it as a term of abuse in the ''Persa''.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It is a sorceress or witch:^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Horace has a man walking free from the spell of a more skilled witch, Ovid uses it of the Aeaean witch and of Medea, and Juvenal speaks of what a single witch costs.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) It is also a female poisoner, as in Quintilian's case of a poisoner to be punished with death.^(OLD 2012) Plautus and Terence use it as a term of abuse, and Antony, quoted in Cicero's ''Philippics'', applies it contemptuously to a man.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(OLD 2012) Wiktionary gives sorceress, witch and female poisoner.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus, as a term of abuse.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 190–159 BC – Terence, as a term of abuse.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 65–8 BC – Horace, of a skilled witch.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid, of the Aeaean witch and of Medea.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

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

+ # A female [[m|en|poisoner]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A term of abuse.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[venēficus]]

+ * [[venēficium]]

+ * [[venēnum]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}