verruca Latin · revision 9337
16 Oct 2026, 18:23 by bogdan “New Latin entry (sources: de Vaan, OLD, Lewis & Short, TLL...)” current version
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+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=inherited|attested=Cato|origins=ine-pro *wers-u-}}
+
+ ==Pronunciation==
+ * IPA (Classical): [wɛrˈruː.ka]^(Wiktionary)
+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [verˈruː.ka]^(Wiktionary)
+
+ ==Forms==
+ '''verrūca''' ''f'' (genitive verrūcae); first declension^(Wiktionary)
+
+ ==Etymology==
+ According to de Vaan it is [[inh|itc-pro|*we/ors-u-|t=hill, top]], [[inh|ine-pro|*u(e/o)rs-u-|t=height, top]], with the suffix ⟨-ūca⟩.^(de Vaan 2008) Cognate with [[sa|वर्ष्मन्|tr=várṣman-|t=height, top]], [[lt|viršùs|t=top]] and [[sga|ferr|t=better]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012) Etymonline calls the word of uncertain origin and reports de Vaan's suggestion.^(Etymonline)
+
+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==
+ De Vaan dates it from Cato, and Gellius quotes Cato using it of a height.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Gaffiot 2016) Köbler dates Cato 234–149 BC.^(Köbler 2010)
+
+ ==Semantic evolution==
+ In Cato, as quoted by Gellius, it was a steep place, a height.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Gaffiot 2016) Its common sense was a growth on the skin, a wart, and Pliny the Elder used it of excrescences on other things, especially a hillock on the earth's surface, and of a flaw in a gem.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) Horace used it figuratively for a small fault.^(Lewis & Short 1879)
+
+ British Medieval Latin used it for a wart, boil or excrescence, glossed Old English ''wearte''.^(DMLBS) It survives in Italian ''verruca'' and gave [[en|verruca]], a medical term, about 1400.^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline)
+
+ ==Timeline==
+ * 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of a height.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses it of a hillock.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * c. 1400 – English ''verruca'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)
+
+ ==Meanings==
+ ===Noun===
+ # A steep place, height.^(Lewis & Short 1879)
+ # A [[m|en|wart]] on the skin.^(OLD 2012)
+ # An [[m|en|excrescence]] on other things; a hillock; a flaw in a gem.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016)
+ # (figurative) A small fault.^(Lewis & Short 1879)
+
+ ==Word family==
+ * [[verrucaria]]
+ * [[verrūcōsus]]
+ * [[uerrūcula]]
+
+ ==Related words==
+ * [[en|verruca]]
+
+ ==References==
+ {{reflist}}