curvus Latin · revision 5231

+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|attested=Plautus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈkʊr.wʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈkur.vus]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''curvus''' (feminine curva, neuter curvum); first/second-declension adjective^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The origin is uncertain.^(de Vaan 2008) De Vaan reconstructs [[itc-pro|*ku/orwo-]] and finds the best comparison in [[sga|corr|t=round, curved]] and [[grc|κυρτός|tr=kurtós|t=curved]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012) Walde and Pokorny derived it from a root *(s)ker- “to turn, bend”, but de Vaan objects that the words grouped there differ widely and that no such verbal root is attested.^(de Vaan 2008) Wiktionary follows the traditional derivation from [[ine-pro|*(s)kr̥-wós]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan and Köbler date it from Plautus,^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010) who has a woman threatening to make a man bent with carrying water.^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant curved, bent or crooked, as of horns, a ploughshare or a curved shore, and as a noun a curve.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) It also meant winding, as of rivers, stooping or bowed with age, and figuratively wrong, as in Persius' crooked morals; the proverb ''curvum corrigere'' meant to set right what is wrong.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ Döderlein treats ''curvus'' as the general word for any crookedness, as opposed to [[uncus]], a strong hooked curve.^(Döderlein 1874) The verb [[curvō]] “to bend” gave [[en|curve]], and Old French ''courbe'' gave [[en|curb]].^(Etymonline) It survives in [[fr|courbe]] and [[it|curvo]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of a man bent with carrying water.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius speaks of curved horns.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 70–19 BC – Virgil speaks of a bent ploughman and winding rivers.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * early 15th century – English ''curve'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|curved]], bent, crooked.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Winding, [[m|en|tortuous]].^(OLD 2012)

+ # (of persons) Stooping, bowed (with age).^(OLD 2012)

+ # Wrong, deviating from what is right, ''curvum corrigere'', to make the crooked straight.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''curvum'', a curve, a curved line.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[curvō]]

+ * [[en|curve]]

+ * [[en|curb]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}