arcus Latin · revision 7524

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=Ennius|origins=ine-pro *h₂erkʷos}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈar.kʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈar.kus]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''arcus''' ''m'' (genitive arcūs); fourth declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|itc-pro|*arkuos|t=bow]], from [[ine-pro|*h₂erkʷos|t=bow, arrow]].^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline) Cognate with [[got|𐌰𐍂𐌷𐌰𐌶𐌽𐌰|tr=arhazna|t=arrow]] and [[ang|earh|t=arrow]], whence [[en|arrow]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline) The DÉRom reconstructs Proto-Romance ⟨*/ˈark-u/⟩, continued in all Romance branches but Vegliote and Ladin.^(DÉRom) It is also spelled ⟨arquus⟩, Ennius and Vitruvius treat it as feminine, and second-declension forms are found.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Isidore says arches are named because they are bent in a tight closure.^(Isidore)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The OLD's earliest citations are from Ennius, of a bow, and Plautus, of a rainbow.^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Ennius 204–169 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant a bow for arrows, as in Ennius and Cicero, and in Cicero the bow of Sagittarius.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) From Plautus it meant a rainbow, and in Livy a halo round the sun.^(OLD 2012) From Varro it meant an arch, vault, and in Tacitus a triumphal arch.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) It meant anything curved, as arching boughs in Vitruvius, a bend in Virgil, and in Columella the arc of a circle, and in Ovid one of the five zones of the sky.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ Medieval Latin used the plural for an arcade.^(Niermeyer 1976) British Medieval Latin distinguished stone-bows and crossbows.^(DMLBS) It survives in Italian and Spanish ''arco'' and French ''arc'', and Old French gave [[en|arc]] in the late 14th century and, from Old French ''arche'', [[en|arch]] about 1300.^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of a bow.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of a rainbow.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of an arch.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 98–115 AD – Tacitus uses it of a triumphal arch.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 1300 – English ''arch'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|bow]]; the bow of Sagittarius.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A [[m|en|rainbow]]; a halo.^(OLD 2012)

+ # An [[m|en|arch]], vault; a triumphal arch.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Anything curved; arching boughs.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A curve; an [[m|en|arc]]; a zone of the sky.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' In the plural, an [[m|en|arcade]].^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[arcifer]]

+ * [[arcipotens]]

+ * [[arcisellium]]

+ * [[arcitenēns]]

+ * [[arcuārius]]

+ * [[arcuatilis]]

+ * [[arcuātus]]

+ * [[arcuballista]]

+ * [[arculus]]

+ * [[arcuō]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[discus]]

+ * [[sagitta]]

+ * [[en|arc]]

+ * [[en|arch]]

+ * [[en|arrow]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}