spolium Latin · revision 6017

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=inherited|attested=Plautus|origins=ine-pro *(s)pelH-}}

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+ ==Forms==

+ '''spolium''' ''n'' (genitive spoliī or spolī); second declension^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|itc-pro|*spoli(o)-|t=skin, hide]], [[inh|ine-pro|*spol(H)-i(o)-|t=what is split, stripped off]], probably from a root [[ine-pro|*(s)pelH-|t=to split, cleave]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)^(Köbler 2010) Cognate with [[grc|σπολάς|tr=spolás|t=leather garment]], [[grc|ἄσπαλον|tr=áspalon|t=skin]] and [[lt|spãliai|t=bits of flax stalk]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012) De Vaan notes that the exact form of the root and its derivatives are hard to establish.^(de Vaan 2008)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan dates it from Plautus.^(de Vaan 2008) Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Its first sense was the skin, hide or fleece stripped from an animal, as the slough of snakes and the fleece in Ovid.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) Then, usually in the plural, it meant the arms and equipment taken from a defeated enemy, the spoils of war, booty.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) By transfer it meant anything gained by violence, as Cicero's man killed for his spoils, and in law the clothes taken from a criminal at execution.^(OLD 2012) Döderlein says ''spolia'' and [[exuviae]] are booty as tokens of victory and honour, while [[praeda]] is booty as gain.^(Döderlein 1874)

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+ In Medieval Latin it meant robbery, clothing, movable goods, and the movable estate of a dead cleric.^(Niermeyer 1976) The verb [[spoliō]] gave [[en|spoil]] about 1300, first “to strip a slain enemy”.^(Etymonline)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero speaks of a man killed for his spoils.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid uses it of a fleece.^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 1300 – English ''spoil'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

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+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The skin, [[m|en|hide]] or fleece stripped from an animal.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(usually plural)'' Arms taken from an enemy, [[m|en|spoils]], [[m|en|booty]].^(OLD 2012)

+ # Anything gained by violence, plunder.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(law)'' The clothes of an executed criminal.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' Movable goods; the movable estate of a dead cleric.^(Niermeyer 1976)

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+ ==Word family==

+ * [[spoliārium]]

+ * [[spolor]]

+ * [[spoliō]]

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[en|spoil]]

+ * [[en|spoliation]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}