gravis Latin · revision 5403

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=Plautus|origins=ine-pro *gʷréh₂us}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈɡra.wɪs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈɡraː.vis]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''gravis''' (neuter grave, comparative gravior, superlative gravissimus, adverb graviter); third-declension two-termination adjective^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|itc-pro|*gʷra(w)u-]], [[inh|ine-pro|*gʷreh₂-u-|t=heavy]], a ''u''-stem adjective made into an ''i''-stem in Italic, like [[brevis]] and [[tenuis]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) Cognate with [[sa|गुरु|tr=gurú|t=heavy]], [[grc|βαρύς|tr=barús|t=heavy]] and [[got|𐌺𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌿𐍃|tr=kaurus|t=heavy]], and perhaps [[osc|bravús]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)^(TLL)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan dates it from Plautus,^(de Vaan 2008) who has a man guessing that a heavy bag holds gold.^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant heavy or weighty, laden, falling with force, slow and unwieldy, and of heat or air oppressive.^(OLD 2012) It was used of pregnant women and animals, of sounds deep or low, and of smells strong or offensive.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) Figuratively it meant serious, grave or important, of people dignified or influential, and also severe, grievous or hard to bear, as of illness or punishment.^(Gaffiot 2016)

+

+ In medieval British Latin it also meant pregnant and hard to digest.^(DMLBS) [[gravitās]] gave [[en|gravity]], [[aggravō]] gave [[en|aggravate]], and ''gravis'' itself gave the adjective [[en|grave]] through French.^(Etymonline) Vulgar Latin *grevis gave Old French ''grever'' “to burden”, the source of [[en|grief]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus guesses a heavy bag holds gold.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 96–55 BC – Lucretius speaks of heavy rain.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero speaks of a heavy gold bowl.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 1500 – English ''gravity'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|heavy]], weighty.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Laden, burdened; [[m|en|pregnant]].^(OLD 2012)^(DMLBS)

+ # Falling with force; unwieldy, sluggish.^(OLD 2012)

+ # (of heat, air) Oppressive.^(OLD 2012)

+ # (of sound) Deep, low, (of smell) strong.^(Gaffiot 2016)

+ # Serious, important, (of persons) dignified, influential.^(Gaffiot 2016)

+ # Severe, grievous, hard to bear.^(Gaffiot 2016)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[gravēdō]]

+ * [[gravēscō]]

+ * [[gravidus]]

+ * [[gravitās]]

+ * [[gravitūdō]]

+ * [[gravō]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[en|grave]]

+ * [[en|gravity]]

+ * [[en|grief]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}