draco Latin · revision 6991

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=Ennius|origins=grc δράκων}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈdra.koː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈdraː.ko]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''dracō''' ''m'' (genitive dracōnis or dracontis); third declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|grc|δράκων|tr=drákōn|t=serpent, dragon]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(TLL) Accius has the Greek stem ⟨dracont-⟩.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Köbler compares [[ine-pro|*derḱ-|t=to see]].^(Köbler 2010) Isidore calls it the greatest of serpents and says the Latin word comes from the Greek accusative ⟨drakonta⟩.^(Isidore)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Köbler's first source is Ennius, whom he dates 204–169 BC.^(Köbler 2010) The OLD's earliest citation for a snake is from the ''Rhetorica ad Herennium''.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant a snake, usually a harmless kind, a sacred serpent guarding a treasure, as in Cicero, and a fabulous dragon, also the constellation Draco, as in Virgil and Cicero's verse.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) ''Dracō marīnus'' in Pliny was a fish, probably the weever, and Isidore says its spines are venomous.^(OLD 2012)^(Isidore) Pliny uses it of an old hardened vine stem, and Seneca of a water heater with spiral pipes.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant a dragon, a snake, a demon.^(Stelten 1995) It survives in Italian ''drago'' and Romanian ''drac'', and [[en|dragon]] came in the mid-13th century through Old French ''dragon''.^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 204–169 BC – Ennius has the word.^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 86/82 BC – The ''Rhetorica ad Herennium'' uses it of a snake.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of a guardian serpent and of the constellation.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * mid-13th century – English ''dragon'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A snake; a sacred serpent; a [[m|en|dragon]].^(OLD 2012)

+ # The constellation [[m|en|Draco]].^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016)

+ # ''dracō marīnus'', the [[m|en|weever]].^(OLD 2012)

+ # An old hardened vine stem.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A water heater with spiral pipes.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(Ecclesiastical Latin)'' A demon.^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[draconarius]]

+ * [[dracōnigenus]]

+ * [[dracontarium]]

+ * [[dracunculus]]

+ * [[dracontēus]]

+ * [[dracōnigena]]

+ * [[dracontia]]

+ * [[dracontium]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[anguis]]

+ * [[coluber]]

+ * [[serpens]]

+ * [[vipera]]

+ * [[en|dragon]]

+ * [[en|draconian]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Dracō'' is also the name of the Athenian lawgiver Draco, mentioned by Cicero and Gellius, and [[en|draconian]] goes back to his harsh code of about 621 BC.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}