ferox Latin · revision 6213

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=Plautus|origins=ine-pro *ǵʰwer-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈfɛ.roːks]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈfɛː.roks]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''ferōx''' (genitive ferōcis, comparative ferōcior, superlative ferōcissimus, adverb ferōciter); third-declension one-termination adjective^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is from [[ferus]] “wild” with the suffix -ōx.^(OLD 2012)^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) ''Ferus'' goes back to [[itc-pro|*χwero-]], [[ine-pro|*ǵʰwer-|t=wild animal]].^(de Vaan 2008) Wiktionary and Etymonline take the suffix from [[ine-pro|*h₃ekʷ-|t=to see]], so “wild-looking”.^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan dates it from Plautus, and Köbler's first source is Ennius.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010) Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC and Ennius 204–169 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant violent, savage, fierce, as Terence's question whether someone is fierce because he rules over beasts, and fierce in war, warlike, as Accius' enemy.^(OLD 2012) Of spirit it meant bold, defiant, as Catullus' Theseus and Sallust's young men, and in a bad sense arrogant, presumptuous, as in Plautus.^(OLD 2012) Gaffiot gives impetuous, bold, as Cicero's ''ferōx es nātūrā''.^(Gaffiot 2016)

+

+ In Medieval Latin it meant of fierce temper, mettlesome.^(DMLBS) It survives in Italian ''feroce'' and Spanish ''feroz''.^(Wiktionary) [[en|ferocious]] was formed from its stem in the 1640s.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

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

+ * 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of fierceness.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus uses it of Theseus.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 1640s – English ''ferocious'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|Fierce]], savage.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Warlike.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Bold, defiant.^(OLD 2012)

+ # [[m|en|Arrogant]], presumptuous.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[ferōcia]]

+ * [[ferōciō]]

+ * [[ferōcitās]]

+ * [[ferōculus]]

+ * [[praeferōx]]

+ * [[ferōciter]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[ferus]]

+ * [[en|ferocious]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}