rufus Latin · revision 5537

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=borrowing|attested=Plautus|origins=ine-pro *h₁rewdʰ-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈruː.fʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈruː.fus]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''rūfus''' (feminine rūfa, neuter rūfum); first/second-declension adjective^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a borrowing from a Sabellic language, where *þ became /f/, of [[itc-pro|*rouþo-|t=red]], from [[ine-pro|*h₁roudʰ-o-|t=red]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) Native Latin has [[ruber]] “red” from the same root.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) Cognate with [[xum|rofu|t=red]], [[sga|rúad|t=red]], [[cy|rhudd|t=red]] and [[en|red]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan dates it from Plautus, who describes a man as red-haired, pot-bellied and darkish.^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant red of various shades, tawny, and especially red-haired.^(OLD 2012) Gellius discusses it among the words for shades of red.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Gaffiot 2016) It was also a frequent Roman cognomen, borne for example by Minucius Rufus, Fabius' master of horse.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016)

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+ In medieval Latin the noun ''rūfus'' was the red gurnard.^(Niermeyer 1976) [[en|rufous]] “reddish-brown” was taken from it in 1781.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus describes a red-haired man.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 165 AD – Gellius discusses it among words for red.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 1781 – English ''rufous'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|Red]], reddish, tawny.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Red-haired.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[rūfō]]

+ * [[subrūfus]]

+ * [[rūfēscō]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[ruber]]

+ * [[en|rufous]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}