vetus Latin · revision 5438

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈwɛ.tʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈvɛː.tus]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''vetus''' (genitive veteris, comparative vetustior or veterior, superlative vetustissimus or veterrimus); third-declension one-termination adjective (non-i-stem)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It continues [[itc-pro|*wetos-|t=year]], [[ine-pro|*wet-os-|t=year]], a neuter noun “year” used as an adjective, “having years”.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) The old nominative [[m|la|veter]] in Ennius was remade from the other cases.^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012) Cognate with [[grc|ἔτος|tr=étos|t=year]], [[hit|witt-|t=year]], [[sa|वत्सर|tr=vatsará|t=year]] and [[lt|vẽtušas|t=old]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012) [[xum|vesune]] names a goddess “of the year”.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan dates it from Plautus, with the form ''veter'' in Ennius.^(de Vaan 2008) In Plautus an old woman says she is “an old lover of you, old man”.^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It was said of people who had lived long, usually with a sense of experience, and of what had been long in some state or role, like an old friend or a veteran soldier.^(OLD 2012) Of things it meant long-established, worn with age, belonging to the past, or the older of two (''Vetus Testāmentum'', the Old Testament).^(OLD 2012)^(Isidore) As a plural noun ''veterēs'' meant the ancients.^(Gaffiot 2016)

+

+ Its derivative [[veterānus]] gave [[en|veteran]] about 1500.^(Etymonline) Medieval Latin had ''Vetus dē Monte'', the Old Man of the Mountain, for the Assassin leader.^(DMLBS)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of an old lover.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 234–149 BC – Cato uses the comparative ''veterior''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 560–636 AD – Isidore explains the name of the Old Testament.^(Isidore)^(Köbler 2010)

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

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|Old]], aged; experienced.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Long-standing, [[m|en|veteran]].^(OLD 2012)

+ # (of things) Long-established, ancient.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Old and worn.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Of the past, old-time, (plural noun) the ancients.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016)

+ # The old (as against a newer one of the same kind).^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[vetera]]

+ * [[veterāmentārius]]

+ * [[veterānus]]

+ * [[veterārius]]

+ * [[veterēs]]

+ * [[veterēscō]]

+ * [[veternus]]

+ * [[veterō]]

+ * [[vetulus]]

+ * [[vetustus]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[vetula]]

+ * [[vitulus]]

+ * [[en|veteran]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Döderlein distinguishes ''vetus'', what has long existed, from [[antīquus]], what existed formerly and is no more, and says that ''vetus homo'' was a man over fifty, [[senex]] one over sixty.^(Döderlein 1874)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}