catella Latin · revision 34223

+ {{homograph|1|little bitch, lapdog}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=before 66 AD, Petronius|origins=la catulus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [kaˈtɛl.la]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [kaˈtɛl.la]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''catella''' ''f'' (genitive catellae); first declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The little bitch is [[der|la|catellus|t=puppy]], its feminine, according to the OLD;^(OLD 2012) Wiktionary also allows an alteration of [[m|la|catula|t=female puppy]].^(Wiktionary)^(Georges 1913) The masculine [[m|la|catellus]] is a diminutive of [[m|la|catulus|t=whelp]], which de Vaan traces to [[itc-pro|*kat-elo-]], comparing [[xum|katel]], the name of a sacrificial animal; he finds similar words in Germanic and Slavic but thinks an Indo-European origin unlikely.^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Petronius uses it in the ''Satyricon'';^(Conte 2010)^(Georges 1913) Köbler records it first in Martial.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It is a little bitch or lapdog, in Petronius, Martial and Juvenal.^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913)^(Conte 2010) Lewis and Short treat it as the feminine form of [[catellus]], which Plautus already uses.^(Lewis & Short 1879) Like the masculine, it became a term of endearment: Jerome writes ''mi catella'', “my little puppy”.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 66 AD – Petronius uses it in the ''Satyricon''.^(Conte 2010)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 40–102/103 AD – Martial uses it of a lapdog.^(Georges 1913)^(Conte 2010)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 67–c. 127 AD – Juvenal uses it in his sixth satire.^(Georges 1913)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 383–419/420 AD – Jerome uses it as a term of endearment.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A little [[m|en|bitch]], a [[m|en|lapdog]], a [[m|en|puppy]].^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913)^(Conte 2010)

+ # A term of [[m|en|endearment]].^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913)

+

+ {{homograph|2|small chain}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=234–149 BC, Cato|origins=la catēna}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [kaˈtɛl.la]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [kaˈtɛl.la]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''catēlla''' ''f'' (genitive catēllae); first declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The small chain is [[af|la|catēna|-la|t1=chain]], a diminutive.^(OLD 2012)^(TLL)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan dates it from Cato among the derivatives of [[m|la|catēna]], which he tentatively reconstructs as [[itc-pro|*kates-nā-]] and thinks might be derived from a form ⟨*kat-es-⟩, also found in [[m|la|caterva|t=crowd]].^(de Vaan 2008) The grammarians Priscian and Nonius already explained it as a diminutive of [[m|la|catēna]].^(TLL)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Köbler records it first in Cato's work on agriculture,^(Köbler 2010) where it stands beside ''ornamenta''; the TLL takes these ''catellas'' as perhaps an ornament for horses.^(TLL)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It is a light chain, usually an ornament.^(OLD 2012) Caecilius Statius uses it, and in Horace a courtesan weeps that her ''catella'' has been stolen.^(Georges 1913)^(TLL) Festus reports that women called an ornament they wore a ''catella'', and Isidore of Seville describes ''catellae'' as small chains of linked rings worn round the neck.^(TLL) It was also a military decoration: Livy has Quinctius rewarding his cavalry with ''catellae'' and brooches, and Pliny the Elder writes of scabbards rattling with little chains.^(TLL)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913) Paulinus of Nola once has the uncontracted form ''catēnula''.^(Lewis & Short 1879) In medieval Britain it is an ornamental chain, glossed in Old English as ''swurracenteh'';^(DMLBS) Köbler lists an Old High German gloss ''ketinlin''.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 234–149 BC – Cato lists ''catellas'', perhaps horse ornaments.^(TLL)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 230/220–168 BC – Caecilius Statius uses it.^(Georges 1913)^(Conte 2010)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of chains given to cavalrymen as a reward.^(TLL)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 560–636 AD – Isidore of Seville describes it as a neck chain of linked rings.^(TLL)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A light, usually ornamental [[m|en|chain]]; a [[m|en|necklace]].^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913)^(Conte 2010)

+ # A small chain given as a military [[m|en|decoration]].^(TLL)^(Georges 1913)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[catellus]]

+ * [[catulus]]

+ * [[catēna]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Lewis and Short treat both nouns under masculine headwords, [[catellus]] “puppy” and ''catellus'' “little chain”; the latter occurs once in Plautus, in a play on the word for puppy.^(Lewis & Short 1879) Köbler gives a third, medieval ''catella'', “kitten”, from [[catta]], found in Jacques de Vitry in the first half of the 13th century.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}