puls Latin · revision 6735

+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|formation=borrowing|attested=Cato|origins=grc πόλτος}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈpʊɫs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈpuls]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''puls''' ''f'' (genitive pultis); third declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is probably connected with [[grc|πόλτος|tr=póltos|t=porridge]], and since ⟨pult-⟩ can reflect *polt-, it is suspected of being borrowed from it.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Etymonline) But Greek o-stems are usually borrowed as o-stems, so Ernout and Meillet suggest an Etruscan intermediary, which cannot be proven.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Etymonline) De Vaan thinks both may go back to a base *polt-, perhaps from a root *pol(H)- “flour” seen in [[pollen]], itself perhaps Mediterranean.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan dates it from Cato.^(de Vaan 2008) Köbler's first source is Lucilius.^(Köbler 2010) Köbler dates Cato 234–149 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant a dish of crushed spelt or other grain boiled in water, a kind of porridge.^(OLD 2012) Lewis and Short and Gaffiot describe it as the primitive food of the Romans before bread, and it was used in sacrifices and as food for the sacred chickens.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Gaffiot 2016)

+

+ In Medieval Latin it was porridge or gruel.^(DMLBS) It survives in Spanish ''puches''.^(Wiktionary) [[en|pulse]] “peas, beans” came in the late 13th century, and [[en|poultice]] from its plural ''pultēs'' in the late 14th century.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 234–149 BC – Cato uses it.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 116–27 BC – Varro calls it the oldest Roman food.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * late 13th century – English ''pulse'' (legumes) is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+ * late 14th century – English ''pultes'', later ''poultice'', is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|porridge]] of boiled crushed grain.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[pultārius]]

+ * [[pulticula]]

+ * [[pultificus]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[pollen]]

+ * [[en|pulse]]

+ * [[en|poultice]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}