volubilis Latin · revision 33946

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=220–130 BC, Pacuvius|origins=ine-pro *uel-u-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [wɔˈɫuː.bɪ.lɪs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [voˈluː.bi.lis]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''volūbilis''' (neuter volūbile); third-declension two-termination adjective^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|la|volvō|-bilis|t1=to roll, turn]], with the lengthened ⟨-ū-⟩ usual in such derivatives.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(de Vaan 2008) De Vaan traces [[m|la|volvō]] to [[itc-pro|*welu-e/o-]] and [[ine-pro|*uel-u-|t=to wind]], cognate with [[grc|εἰλύω|tr=eilúō|t=to wind round]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan finds it first in Pacuvius,^(de Vaan 2008) who pictures Fortune standing on a round, rolling stone.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It means turning on its axis or spinning: Cicero speaks of the world itself as a round, burning, spinning god, and Virgil uses it of a top.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) From rolling it came to mean changeable: Cicero writes how fickle and unstable fortune is.^(OLD 2012) Ovid uses it of a snake's coils,^(OLD 2012) and Horace of a river that flows on and will flow for ever.^(OLD 2012) Of speech it means fluent, readily flowing, as in the ''Rhetorica ad Herennium'', and of speakers voluble.^(OLD 2012) Niermeyer records a medieval use of time, "flying".^(Niermeyer 1976) English [[m|en|voluble]] came from it in the late 14th century, first meaning "revolving easily".^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 220–130 BC – Pacuvius of Fortune's rolling stone.^(OLD 2012)^(de Vaan 2008)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero of the spinning world and of fickle fortune.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 65–8 BC – Horace of a river flowing on.^(OLD 2012)

+ * 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid of a snake's coils.^(OLD 2012)

+ * late 14th century – [[m|en|voluble]] appears in English.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Turning on its axis, spinning, [[m|en|revolving]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Rolling;^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) ''(figurative)'' changeable, [[m|en|unstable]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Forming coils, coiled.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(of streams)'' Rolling on, flowing;^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) ''(of speech)'' [[m|en|fluent]], [[m|en|voluble]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin, of time)'' Flying.^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[volūbilitās]]

+ * [[volūbiliter]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[volvō]]

+ * [[volūmen]]

+ * [[en|voluble]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}