incus Latin · revision 33996

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 250–184 BC, Plautus|origins=ine-pro *kuh₂-d-e/o-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [ˈɪŋ.kuːs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [ˈiŋ.kus]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''incūs''' ''f'' (genitive incūdis); third declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|la|in-|cūdō|t2=to strike, forge]].^(OLD 2012)^(TLL) Wiktionary derives it from [[m|la|incūdō|t=to forge]].^(Wiktionary) The verb goes back to [[itc-pro|*kūd-e/o-]] and [[ine-pro|*kuh₂-d-e/o-|t=to hit]].^(de Vaan 2008) Cognate with [[lt|káuti|t=to hit]], [[goh|houwan|t=to hew]] and [[m|en|hew]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Etymonline) Nonius already explained it from the mass of metal that is struck with hammers on it.^(TLL)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan and Köbler date it from Plautus,^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010) who uses it figuratively in the ''Pseudolus'': "this is my anvil: here today I will forge many tricks".^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It is an anvil:^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Cicero speaks of working without bellows and anvils, Virgil of swords ringing on hard anvils, and Horace of reforging iron on a new anvil.^(Lewis & Short 1879) The proverb ''eandem incūdem tundere'', "to beat the same anvil", means to keep working at the same thing, in Cicero and Ammianus Marcellinus.^(Lewis & Short 1879) Figuratively Tacitus has young men still on the anvil of their studies, and Horace tells a poet to return badly made verses to the anvil.^(Lewis & Short 1879) Late Latin also has ''incūdō'', ''-inis'', in Jerome and Venantius Fortunatus.^(TLL) It survives in Italian ''incudine'', French ''enclume'' and Old Spanish ''ayunque''.^(TLL) English [[m|en|incus]], the anvil bone of the middle ear, was named by Vesalius.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of an anvil for tricks.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero of anvils and of the proverb.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ * 70–19 BC – Virgil of swords on anvils.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ * 98–115 AD – Tacitus of young men on the anvil of study.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ * 1660s – English [[m|en|incus]] for the ear bone.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # An [[m|en|anvil]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(figurative)'' The place where something is shaped;^(Lewis & Short 1879) ''eandem incūdem tundere'', to keep working at the same thing;^(Lewis & Short 1879) ''incūdī reddere'', to revise.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[cūdō]]

+ * [[prōcūdō]]

+ * [[excūdō]]

+ * [[en|incus]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}