vultur Latin · revision 34117

+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|attested=204–169 BC, Ennius}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [ˈwʊɫ.tʊr]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [ˈvul.tur]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''vultur''' ''m'' (genitive vulturis); third declension^(Wiktionary)

+ Also spelled ''voltur''.^(OLD 2012)^(de Vaan 2008)

+ Ennius has the older nominative ''vulturus''.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The origin is uncertain.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) The OLD derives it, probably, from [[m|la|vellō|t=to pluck, tear]],^(OLD 2012) and de Vaan allows that it could be “the tearing bird”, though the suffix ⟨-ur-⟩ is then surprising;^(de Vaan 2008) he is not convinced by Muller's idea that it rhymes with its opposite, [[m|la|turtur|t=turtle dove]].^(de Vaan 2008) Köbler, after Pokorny, sets up [[ine-pro|*gᵘ̯l̥turos|t=vulture]].^(Köbler 2010) Isidore of Seville derived the name from the bird's slow flight.^(Isidore|12.7.12)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan records it first in Ennius,^(de Vaan 2008) who has the nominative ''vulturus'';^(OLD 2012) Plautus already has the derivative ''vulturius''.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Virgil, Livy and Pliny the Elder use it of the bird, and Livy of a bird of omen.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Gaffiot 2016) Seneca and Martial apply it to a rapacious person,^(Georges 1913)^(Gaffiot 2016) a legacy hunter.^(Conte 2010) Claudian has the proverb ''vultur prōfert cornua'', “the vulture grows horns”, for something impossible.^(Georges 1913)^(Lewis & Short 1879) In medieval alchemy the vulture is an emblem of mercury, and astronomers called the star Vega ''vultur cadēns'', “the falling vulture”, after its Arabic name.^(DMLBS) It lives on in [[m|fr|vautour]], [[m|es|buitre]], [[m|it|avvoltoio]] and [[m|ro|vultur]],^(Wiktionary) and English took ''vulture'' from Anglo-French in the late 14th century.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 204–169 BC – Ennius has the nominative ''vulturus''.^(OLD 2012)^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 59 BC–17 AD – Livy writes of vultures as a bird of omen.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca uses it of a rapacious person.^(Georges 1913)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * first third of the 14th century – John Dastin uses it in alchemy for mercury.^(DMLBS)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * late 14th century – Borrowed into English as [[m|en|vulture]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|vulture]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Stelten 1995)

+ # ''(figurative)'' A [[m|en|rapacious]], greedy person.^(Georges 1913)^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Simpson 1959)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin, alchemy)'' An emblem of [[m|en|mercury]].^(DMLBS)^(Köbler 2010)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin, astronomy)'' ''vultur cadēns'', the star [[m|en|Vega]].^(DMLBS)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[vulturius]]

+ * [[subvulturius]]

+ * [[vulturīnus]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[vellō]]

+ * [[en|vulture]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Vultur'' (also ''Voltur'') is also a mountain in Apulia near Venusia, named by Horace and Lucan.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913)^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}