alga Latin · revision 33763

+ {{infobox|confidence=unknown|attested=2nd century BC, Turpilius}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [ˈaɫ.ɡa]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [ˈal.ɡa]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''alga''' ''f'' (genitive algae); first declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The origin is unknown.^(de Vaan 2008)^(TLL) De Vaan finds the usual connection with [[m|la|ulva|t=sedge, water plant]] plausible, but thinks the variation between the two forms points to a loanword from a foreign language.^(de Vaan 2008) It is also compared with Germanic words for mould and rot, such as Norwegian words cited by Lidén.^(de Vaan 2008)^(TLL)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan and Köbler find it first in Turpilius, the comic poet of the 2nd century BC.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It is seaweed, which Lewis & Short say was frequent in the poets, as Horace and Virgil.^(Lewis & Short 1879) Seaweed cast up on the shore stood for what is worthless or beyond counting: in Virgil, someone is more worthless than seaweed cast up on the shore.^(OLD 2012) Pliny the Elder mentions a kind used for dyeing red, and reports Nicander's claim that seaweed is an antidote to poison.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(TLL) In poetry it can also be plants growing in fresh water, as in Statius.^(OLD 2012) Church Latin has “seaweed”.^(Stelten 1995) English [[m|en|alga]] appears in the 1550s, as the singular of [[m|en|algae]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 2nd century BC – Turpilius, of seaweed.^(OLD 2012)^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 70–19 BC – Virgil, “more worthless than cast-up seaweed”.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder, of a seaweed used as dye.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 45–96 AD – Statius, of plants in fresh water.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 1550s – English [[m|en|alga]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|seaweed|alt=Seaweed]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)

+ # Something worthless.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(poetic)'' Plants growing in fresh water, [[m|en|water plant|alt=water plants]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[algēnsis]]

+ * [[algōsus]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[ulva]]

+ * [[fūcus#1]]

+ * [[en|alga]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}