corvus Latin · revision 5354

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=Plautus|origins=ine-pro *ḱorh₂-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

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

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

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''corvus''' ''m'' (genitive corvī); second declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|itc-pro|*korwo-]], [[inh|ine-pro|*ḱor(h₂)-uo-|t=crow, raven]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) Words for crow and raven with *kr- are found across Indo-European, so de Vaan considers the root imitative.^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012) It is related to [[cornīx]] “crow” and [[grc|κόραξ|tr=kórax|t=raven]].^(OLD 2012)^(TLL) Isidore says it is named from the sound of its throat.^(Isidore)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan and Köbler date it from Plautus.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010) Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It was the raven, a bird of augury, and Ovid tells that it was once white and was turned black as a punishment.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) ''In cruce corvōs pāscere'' “to feed the ravens on the cross” was said of crucified slaves.^(Gaffiot 2016) It was also the constellation Raven, ''corvus aquāticus'' the cormorant, a sea fish, and a military grapnel or hook, such as the boarding bridge of the Roman fleet.^(OLD 2012) ''Corvus'' was the cognomen of M. Valerius.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ In medieval British Latin it was the raven, crow or rook, a figure of evil, and ''albus corvus'' “a white raven” stood for a rarity.^(DMLBS) Its diminutive gave Old French ''corbel'', the source of [[en|corbel]], a beam projecting like a beak.^(Etymonline) It survives in [[it|corvo]], [[fr|corbeau]] and [[es|cuervo]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of the constellation.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 84–c. 25 BC – Vitruvius describes the ''corvus'' as a siege engine.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * mid-14th century – English ''corbel'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|raven]].^(OLD 2012)

+ # The constellation Corvus.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''corvus aquāticus'', the [[m|en|cormorant]].^(OLD 2012)

+ # A sea fish.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A grapnel; a siege engine.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[corvīnus]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[cornīx]]

+ * [[crōciō]]

+ * [[en|corbel]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}