acies Latin · revision 6369

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=Plautus|origins=ine-pro *h₂eḱ-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈa.ki.eːs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈaː.t͡ʃi.es]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''aciēs''' ''f'' (genitive aciēī); fifth declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is from the root [[ine-pro|*h₂eḱ-|t=sharp]] of [[ācer]] “sharp” and [[acuō]] “to sharpen”.^(Wiktionary)^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010) Isidore of Seville derived the battle line from its sharp swords.^(Isidore)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The OLD's first citations are from Plautus, of a sharp edge, sight and battle.^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant a sharp edge, the edge of a blade or the point of a spear, as in Plautus and Cicero, also figuratively.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) With ''oculōrum'' it meant the sight of the eyes, vision, a glance, the pupil, the eye itself, and the mind's keenness, as Cicero's ''aciēs mentis''.^(OLD 2012) It meant an army drawn up for battle, a line, battle order, as in Caesar, and a battle, fight, as in Plautus, also figuratively the fray of the courts.^(OLD 2012) Old genitives ''aciē'' and ''aciī'' occur.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Döderlein says ''aciēs'' is the sharpness of an edge, [[acūmen]] that of a point, and in war ''aciēs'' is the clash of two lines, [[pugna]] any fight.^(Döderlein 1874)

+

+ In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant keenness, edge, the pupil of the eye and the line of battle.^(Stelten 1995) It survives in Old Spanish ''haz''.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of edges, sight and battle.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses ''aciēs mentis''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of a battle line.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A sharp [[m|en|edge]]; a blade, point.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Sight, vision; a glance; the pupil, the eye.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Keenness (of mind).^(OLD 2012)

+ # An army in battle array; a line; battle order.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A [[m|en|battle]].^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[aciāle]]

+ * [[aciārium]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[acia]]

+ * [[acus]]

+ * [[ācer]]

+ * [[acuō]]

+ * [[acūmen]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}