cubitus Latin · revision 5553

+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|formation=derivation|attested=Plautus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

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

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

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''cubitus''' ''m'' (genitive cubitūs); fourth declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is usually derived from the root of [[cubō]] “to lie down”, since one reclined on the elbow at table, with a suffix as in [[digitus]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Gaffiot 2016) De Vaan points out that the supposed outside cognates, [[grc|κύβος|tr=kúbos|t=cube, die]], [[cy|gogof|t=cave]] and [[got|𐌷𐌿𐍀𐍃|tr=hups|t=hip]], differ too much in meaning to support a root *keub-.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan and Köbler date it from Plautus, where a parasite boasts that his elbow is a catapult.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It was the elbow, on which diners leaned when reclining, so that ''cubitum pōnere'' meant to sit down to dinner, and by transfer a sharp bend, as the curve of the coast at Ancona in Pliny.^(OLD 2012) It was also the forearm and its inner bone, the ulna, and as a measure the cubit, the distance from elbow to fingertip, about a foot and a half.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ The neuter ''cubitum'' is also found.^(OLD 2012) [[en|cubit]] came from it as a unit of measure in the early 14th century.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus has a parasite call his elbow a catapult.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 84–c. 25 BC – Vitruvius gives the forearm as a quarter of the body's height.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * early 14th century – English ''cubit'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The [[m|en|elbow]], ''cubitum pōnere'', to sit down to dinner.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A sharp bend.^(OLD 2012)

+ # The forearm; the ulna.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A [[m|en|cubit]] (as a measure).^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[cubō]]

+ * [[en|cubit]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Cubitus'', ''-ūs'', a fourth-declension noun formed from [[cubō]], meant “lying down, a couch”.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}