virgo Latin · revision 5865

+ {{infobox|confidence=unknown|attested=Livius Andronicus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈwɪr.ɡoː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈvir.ɡo]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''virgō''' ''f'' (genitive virginis); third declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ Its origin is uncertain.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) Walde and Hofmann took it as a derivative of [[virga]] “shoot, rod”, through a sense “young plant”, and the OLD compares ''virga'' too.^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012) De Vaan rejects Ledo-Lemos' compound *wir-gwōn- “young woman”, since the word for “man” was *uiHro- and the analysis of the second part is not acceptable.^(de Vaan 2008) Lewis and Short connected [[grc|ὀργάω|tr=orgáō|t=to swell]].^(Lewis & Short 1879) An archaic spelling [[m|la|virco]] is found in an inscription.^(OLD 2012) Isidore of Seville derived it from the greener age of youth, like ''virga''.^(Isidore)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan dates it from Livius Andronicus.^(de Vaan 2008) Köbler dates him 280/260 to before 200 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant a girl of marriageable age, a maiden, and a woman sexually intact, and occasionally a young man without sexual experience.^(OLD 2012) It was used of women living in permanent virginity, goddesses such as the Muses and Astraea.^(OLD 2012) It named the zodiacal sign Virgo, and the ''Aqua Virgo'', an aqueduct of Rome famous for its cold water.^(OLD 2012) Döderlein distinguishes ''virgo'', an unmarried woman of any age, from [[puella]], a young woman married or not.^(Döderlein 1874) The ''Appendix Probi'' corrects ''vyrgo'' to ''virgo''.^(Appendix Probi)

+

+ In Medieval Latin it was used of consecrated virgins and nuns, and even of a chaste unmarried man.^(Niermeyer 1976) [[en|virgin]] came through Anglo-French about 1200.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 280/260–before 200 BC – Livius Andronicus uses it.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of a marriageable girl.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of the constellation Virgo.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 1200 – English ''virgin'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A girl of marriageable age, a [[m|en|maiden]].^(OLD 2012)

+ # A [[m|en|virgin]], (masculine) a man without sexual experience.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A woman living in permanent virginity, as a goddess.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(astronomy)'' The constellation and zodiacal sign Virgo.^(OLD 2012)

+ # The ''Aqua Virgo'', an aqueduct of Rome.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(Ecclesiastical Latin)'' A consecrated virgin, a [[m|en|nun]].^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[virginālis]]

+ * [[virginārius]]

+ * [[virgineus]]

+ * [[virginitās]]

+ * [[virginor]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[virga]]

+ * [[en|virgin]]

+ * [[en|Virgo]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}