eques Latin · revision 6529
16 Oct 2026, 10:35 by bogdan “New Latin entry (sources: de Vaan, OLD, Lewis & Short, TLL...)” current version
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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=Ennius|origins=ine-pro *h₁éḱwos}}
+
+ ==Pronunciation==
+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈɛ.kʷɛs]^(Wiktionary)
+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈɛː.kʷes]^(Wiktionary)
+
+ ==Forms==
+ '''eques''' ''m'' (genitive equitis); third declension^(Wiktionary)
+
+ ==Etymology==
+ It is from [[equus]] “horse” with the suffix -es, -itis, as in [[pedes]] and [[comes]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline) ''Equus'' goes back to [[ine-pro|*h₁éḱwos|t=horse]].^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline)
+
+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==
+ Köbler's first source is Ennius, whose rider sets the hollow hoof drumming on the ground.^(Köbler 2010)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Köbler dates Ennius 204–169 BC.^(Köbler 2010)
+
+ ==Semantic evolution==
+ It meant a horseman, rider, as in Horace and Livy, and a cavalryman, also as a collective “cavalry”, as in Caesar; the ''magister equitum'' was the dictator's second in command, as in Plautus.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) It meant a member of the equestrian order, a “knight”, originally one able to provide his own horse, and the ''equitēs'' formed a class between senators and plebs, as in Cicero.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016)
+
+ In Medieval Latin it meant a dependant serving as mounted messenger, and a knight.^(Niermeyer 1976) [[en|equestrian]] was formed in the 1650s from its adjective [[equester]].^(Etymonline)
+
+ ==Timeline==
+ * 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of a rider.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses ''magister equitum''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of the equestrian order.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * 1650s – English ''equestrian'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)
+
+ ==Meanings==
+ ===Noun===
+ # A [[m|en|horseman]], rider.^(OLD 2012)
+ # A cavalryman, (collective) [[m|en|cavalry]].^(OLD 2012)
+ # A member of the equestrian order, a [[m|en|knight]].^(OLD 2012)
+
+ ==Word family==
+ * [[equitātus]]
+ * [[equitō]]
+ * [[equester]]
+ * [[equitulus]]
+
+ ==Related words==
+ * [[equus]]
+ * [[pedes]]
+ * [[en|equestrian]]
+
+ ==References==
+ {{reflist}}