horrifer Latin · revision 35926

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=220–130 BC, Pacuvius|origins=la horreō, la ferō}}

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''horrifer''' (feminine horrifera, neuter horriferum); first/second-declension adjective (nominative masculine singular in -er)^(Wiktionary)

+ Pacuvius has the old genitive plural ''horriferum''.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|la|horreō|-fer|t1=to bristle, shudder|t2=bearing]];^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) the TLL derives it from [[m|la|horror]] and [[m|la|ferō|t=to carry]], and compares words like [[m|la|horrificus]] and [[m|la|pestifer]].^(TLL) De Vaan traces the verb to [[itc-pro|*χors-ē-|t=to be stiff]] and [[ine-pro|*ǵʰr̥s-eh₁-|t=to be stiff, surprised]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is found first in the tragedians Pacuvius and Accius,^(de Vaan 2008)^(TLL) meaning “dreadful”: Pacuvius speaks of a “dreadful prodigy” (''prōdigium horriferum'').^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It is a poetic word.^(TLL)^(Lewis & Short 1879) It means “frightening, dreadful”, as in Lucretius' Tartarus belching dreadful heat, Virgil's [[m|en|aegis]] and Ovid's Erinys,^(OLD 2012) and also “bringing cold, chilling”: Accius has the chilling roar of the north wind, and Ovid uses it of Boreas.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Seneca and Valerius Flaccus apply it to icy regions and snow.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ In medieval Latin it kept both senses: Aldhelm speaks of God's dreadful wrath, and the ''Carmina Burana'' of the cold north wind giving way to the west wind.^(DMLBS)^(MLW)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 220–130 BC – Pacuvius speaks of a dreadful prodigy.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 170–c. 90 BC – Accius uses it of the chilling north wind.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of Tartarus.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of the aegis.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 639–709 AD – Aldhelm uses it of God's wrath.^(DMLBS)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Frightening, [[m|en|dreadful]], [[m|en|horrible]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # Bringing cold, freezing, [[m|en|chilling]].^(OLD 2012)^(MLW)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[horror]]

+ * [[horrificus]]

+ * [[horribilis]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}