avarus Latin · revision 5282

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=derivation|attested=Naevius|origins=ine-pro *h₂eu-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [aˈwaː.rʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [aˈvaː.rus]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''avārus''' (feminine avāra, neuter avārum, comparative avārior, superlative avārissimus, adverb avārē or avāriter); first/second-declension adjective^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a derivative of [[aveō]] “to be eager, desire”, though the exact formation is unclear: the only other adjective in -ārus is [[amārus]] “bitter”.^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan derives ''aveō'' from [[itc-pro|*awē-|t=to be eager]], [[ine-pro|*h₂eu-eh₁-|t=to enjoy, consume]].^(de Vaan 2008) Gellius already connected it with ''aveō''.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Köbler gives Naevius first.^(Köbler 2010) Köbler dates Naevius c. 235–200 BC.^(Köbler 2010) Terence has a greedy pimp.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant greedy for money or gain, avaricious and rapacious, and also miserly or stingy.^(OLD 2012) In poetry it described things greedy or hungry for something, as Virgil's greedy Acheron, and Horace has ''laudis avārus'' “greedy for praise”.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) A grammarian quoted by Lewis and Short distinguishes ''avārus'', always a term of blame, from [[avidus]].^(Lewis & Short 1879) As a noun it was a miser.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ In medieval British Latin it kept the sense avaricious.^(DMLBS) It survives in [[it|avaro]] and [[fr|avare]].^(Wiktionary) Its noun [[avāritia]] gave [[en|avarice]] about 1300.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses the word.^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus says no one will be so stingy as not to set him free.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 70–19 BC – Virgil speaks of greedy Acheron.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 1300 – English ''avarice'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Greedy for money, [[m|en|avaricious]], rapacious.^(OLD 2012)

+ # [[m|en|miserly]], stingy.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(poetic)'' Greedy, hungry (for).^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A miser.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[aveō]]

+ * [[avāritia]]

+ * [[avidus]]

+ * [[en|avarice]]

+ * [[en|avid]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}