cuneus Latin · revision 7705

+ {{infobox|confidence=unknown|attested=Plautus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈkʊ.ne.ʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈkuː.ne.us]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''cuneus''' ''m'' (genitive cuneī); second declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ Its origin is uncertain; the OLD calls it doubtful and Etymonline unknown.^(OLD 2012)^(Etymonline) It seems to have the suffix [[-eus]], and comparisons with [[ine-pro|*h₂eḱ-|t=sharp]] or [[ine-pro|*ḱuH-|t=spike]] are problematic, according to Wiktionary.^(Wiktionary) The OLD and the TLL compare [[culex]] “gnat” and [[sa|शूक|tr=śū́ka|t=awn, sting]].^(OLD 2012)^(TLL) Isidore explains the military sense as ⟨couneus⟩, a body coming together into one.^(Isidore)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, of a wedge securing something in place.^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant a wedge, for splitting, as in Cato and Virgil, or for fixing, as in Plautus, a plug, and in Ovid the wedges of a ship's hull.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Gaffiot 2016) In Vitruvius it meant a wedge-shaped stone, a voussoir.^(OLD 2012) In Livy it meant a wedge-shaped area, and in Virgil a wedge of seats in the theatre and its spectators.^(OLD 2012) From Caesar it meant a deep, wedge-shaped formation of troops.^(OLD 2012)^(Isidore)

+

+ In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant a wedge.^(Stelten 1995) Medieval Latin used it for a coin die, a seal matrix and the corner of a building.^(Niermeyer 1976) It survives in Italian ''conio'', French ''coin'' and Spanish ''cuño'', and Old French ''coing'' gave [[en|coin]] about 1300, first “a wedge”, the die for stamping money being wedge-shaped.^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

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

+ * 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of a splitting wedge.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of a troop formation.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of theatre seats.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

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

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

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

+ # ''(architecture)'' A [[m|en|voussoir]]; a strip of wall.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A wedge-shaped area; a block of theatre seats.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A wedge formation of troops.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' A coin [[m|en|die]]; a seal matrix; a corner.^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[cuneō]]

+ * [[cuneolus]]

+ * [[cuneātim]]

+ * [[cuneifōrmis]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[cunīculus]]

+ * [[cunnus]]

+ * [[cōnus]]

+ * [[en|coin]]

+ * [[en|cuneiform]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}