lanius

See also: Lanius

Latin

Etymology

Uncertain. De Vaan (2008) proposes Proto-Italic *lanios, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃lomH-io- (with unrounding of *o to /a/ after /l/, and palatalization of -mi- to -ni-), from Proto-Indo-European *lem(H)- (“to break”).[1] On the other hand, Ernout and Meillet (1985) argue based on semantics that this word is more likely to be a derivative of the verb laniō (“rip up, tear to pieces”) than the reverse.[2] Both dictionaries mention a hypothesis that this word could be of Etruscan origin (as lanista, which looks related, is alleged by Isidore to be from Etruscan), but De Vaan is reluctant to accept that as the origin.

According to another hypothesis, the word is cognate to Latin lacer (“torn, mangled”), lacinia (“edge, flap”) and Ancient Greek λᾰκίζω (lakízō, “to tear to pieces”), from Proto-Indo-European *leh₂k- (“to tear, rend”), via Old Latin lacnius.

Pronunciation

Noun

lanius m (genitive laniī or lanī); second declension

  1. butcher
    Synonyms: carnifex, laniātor, laniō, macellarius

Declension

Second-declension noun.

Case Singular Plural
Nominative lanius laniī
Genitive laniī
lanī1		 laniōrum
Dative laniō laniīs
Accusative lanium laniōs
Ablative laniō laniīs
Vocative lanī laniī

1Found in older Latin (until the Augustan Age).

References
  1. De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “lanius”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 326
  2. Ernout, Alfred, Meillet, Antoine (1985) “laniō, -ās, -āuī, -ātum, -āre”, in Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue latine: histoire des mots‎ (in French), 4th edition, with additions and corrections of Jacques André, Paris: Klincksieck, published 2001, page 340

Further reading
  • “lanius”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • “lanius”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • lanius in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
  • lanius in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
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