quercus Latin · revision 5863

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈkʷɛr.kʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈkʷɛr.kus]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''quercus''' ''f'' (genitive quercūs or quercī); variously declined, fourth declension, second declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|itc-pro|*kʷerkʷu/o-]], [[inh|ine-pro|*perkʷ-o/u-|t=kind of oak]], with the Italo-Celtic assimilation of *p … kʷ to *kʷ … kʷ.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) Cognate with [[goh|fereheih|t=kind of oak]] and [[lng|fereha]], and with [[non|fýri|t=fir forest]] and [[en|fir]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan follows Schaffner in rejecting a link with [[got|𐍆𐌰𐌹𐍂𐍈𐌿𐍃|tr=fairƕus|t=world]] and with [[lt|perkūnas|t=thunder]].^(de Vaan 2008) Isidore of Seville derived it from [[quaerō]] “to seek”, since the pagan gods gave answers to seekers from oaks.^(Isidore)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan dates it from Ennius, who describes oaks and holm oaks being felled.^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Ennius 204–169 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant an oak, especially the common oak, then oak timber, which Vitruvius says lasts forever when buried.^(OLD 2012) In poetry it meant a garland of oak leaves, the civic crown, and also the ship Argo or a javelin.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) It was mostly a fourth-declension noun, with second-declension forms such as ''quercō'' in Varro.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ It survives in [[it|quercia]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 204–169 BC – Ennius describes oaks being felled.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 116–27 BC – Varro has the ablative ''quercō''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 560–636 AD – Isidore of Seville derives it from ''quaerere''.^(Isidore)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # An [[m|en|oak]], oak tree.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Oak [[m|en|timber]].^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(poetic)'' A garland of oak leaves, the civic crown.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[querceus]]

+ * [[quercī̆nus]]

+ * [[querneus]]

+ * [[querquētum]]

+ * [[quernus]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[rōbur]]

+ * [[en|fir]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}