asinus Latin · revision 734

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈa.sɪ.nʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈaː.s̬i.nus]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''asinus''' ''m'' (genitive asinī); second declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ Of unknown origin, and probably a fairly recent loanword: the /s/ between vowels was not changed to /r/ as in inherited words.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan notes that most Indo-European words for the ass are loanwords.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Etymonline) Attempts to derive both ''asinus'' and [[grc|ὄνος|tr=ónos|t=ass]] from a common *os(o)no- fail on the Latin ''a-'' and the lack of any trace of internal *s in Greek.^(de Vaan 2008) The source may lie in Asia Minor, comparing [[hlu|tarkasna-|t=ass]] and [[sux|anše|t=ass]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is found from Plautus onwards.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010) In the ''Asinaria'' Plautus tells of asses sold to a merchant.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The word named the [[m|en|ass]] or donkey, a work animal for mills and carts, and with ''silvestris'' or ''agrestis'' the wild ass.^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913) Pliny the Elder calls the rhinoceros ''asinus Indicus''.^(OLD 2012) Comedy used it for a fool, as Terence and Cicero do.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) It appears in proverbs, such as ''asinus in tegulis'' “an ass on the roof” for something absurd, and ''qui asinum non potest, stratum caedit'' “he who cannot beat the ass beats the saddle”.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ Its descendants include Italian ''asino'' and Spanish ''asno'',^(Wiktionary) and [[en|ass]] probably goes back to it through Celtic or Germanic.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it for asses sold at market.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 234–149 BC – Cato lists asses among the stock of a farm.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero calls himself a downright ass.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder calls the rhinoceros the Indian ass.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # An [[m|en|ass]], [[m|en|donkey]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # With ''silvestris'' or ''agrestis'', the wild ass, [[m|en|onager]].^(OLD 2012)

+ # With ''Indicus'', apparently the [[m|en|rhinoceros]].^(OLD 2012)

+ # A fool, dolt.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[asellus]]

+ * [[asina]]

+ * [[asinālis]]

+ * [[asinārius]]

+ * [[asinīnus]]

+ * [[asinusca]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[en|ass]]

+ * [[en|easel]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}