victima Latin · revision 676

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈwɪk.tɪ.ma]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈvik.ti.ma]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''victima''' ''f'' (genitive victimae); first declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It goes back to [[itc-pro|*wiktV-mā-]], of uncertain origin.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Etymonline) De Vaan offers two possibilities.^(de Vaan 2008) If [[vicis]] “turn” comes from a root meaning “to turn”, the sense “exchange” could follow, and the victim would be the “exchange” with the gods, from *wikti- “exchange” with the suffix *-mo-.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Etymonline) Alternatively, it may belong to [[ine-pro|*weyk-|t=to select, set apart]], as in [[sa|विनक्ति|tr=vinákti|t=sifts, separates]], and be connected with [[got|𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍃|tr=weihs|t=holy]], a word of the same religious field, and Pokorny, the OLD and Wiktionary take this view, and Wiktionary relates [[en|witch]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Pokorny 1959)^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) Lewis and Short derived it from the root of [[vigeo|alt=vigēre]].^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ Within Italic, compare [[xum|eveietu]], of uncertain meaning.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is found from Naevius onwards,^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010) and Plautus uses it for an animal offered in [[m|en|sacrifice]].^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The word meant an animal offered in sacrifice, and ''victima maior'' was a full-grown victim.^(OLD 2012) Georges notes that it covered both sacrifices of atonement and of thanksgiving, and modern scholars distinguish it from ''[[hostia]]''.^(Georges 1913) Figuratively it meant a person sacrificed, as when Cicero says Decius offered himself as a victim for the state, and Horace calls every man a victim of pitiless Orcus.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ In Christian Latin it was used of Christ as the sacrificial victim,^(Köbler 2010)^(Stelten 1995) and in medieval Latin also for an animal for slaughter.^(Niermeyer 1976) English borrowed it in the mid-15th century as [[en|victim]], first meaning a sacrificial animal.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it for a sacrificial animal.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero says Decius made himself a victim for the republic.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 65–8 BC – Horace calls man a victim of Orcus.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * Middle Ages – It also means an animal for slaughter.^(Niermeyer 1976)

+ * mid-15th century – English borrows it as [[en|victim]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # An animal offered in [[m|en|sacrifice]], a victim.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # ''(figurative)'' A person sacrificed, a [[m|en|victim]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # ''(Ecclesiastical Latin)'' A sin offering, and Christ as sacrifice.^(Stelten 1995)^(Köbler 2010)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' An animal for slaughter.^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[victimārius]]

+ * [[victimō]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[hostia]]

+ * [[en|victim]]

+ * [[en|witch]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}