veles Latin · revision 6188

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈweː.ɫɛs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈvɛː.les]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''vēles''' ''m'' (genitive vēlitis); third declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ Its origin is uncertain.^(de Vaan 2008) The OLD compares [[vēlōx]] “swift” and [[vehō]] “to carry”, with the ending of [[pedes]] “foot soldier”.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) Walde and Hofmann derived it from *weǵʰ-slo- “driving”, which de Vaan finds implausible; if it comes from *weǵʰ- “to convey” at all, it meant a carrier, a soldier carrying goods, with the ending of ''pedes'' and [[eques]].^(de Vaan 2008) That would weaken the link with ''vēlōx'', and a link with [[vēlum]] “sail” is far-fetched.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

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

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant a light-armed foot soldier, a skirmisher who fought outside the line of battle, usually in the plural ''vēlitēs'', as in Livy.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Gaffiot 2016) Inscriptions also use it of a type of gladiator.^(OLD 2012) Varro has the spelling ''vellitēs''.^(OLD 2012) From it came ''vēlitārī'' “to skirmish, attack with words” and ''vēlitātiō'', both in Plautus.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ In Medieval Latin it was still a light-armed foot soldier.^(DMLBS) [[en|velite]] is borrowed from it.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

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

+ * 59 BC–17 AD – Livy describes the ''vēlitēs''.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A light-armed foot soldier, [[m|en|skirmisher]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # A type of [[m|en|gladiator]].^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[en|velite]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}