abyssus

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin abyssus.

Noun

abyssus (plural abyssi)

1. Archaic form of abyss.
   • 1613 November 5, Lancelot Andrewes, “A Sermon Preached before the King’s Maiestie, at White-hall […]”, in XCVI. sermons by the Right Honorable and Reverend Father in God, Lancelot Andrevves […], published 1629, page 935:

     He was, when there were yet no Abyssi, no depths, nor no mountaines vpon the Earth, nor the Earth it selfe […]

Latin

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek ἄβῠσσος (ábussos, “bottomless pit”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /aˈbys.sus/, [äˈbʏs̠ːʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /aˈbis.sus/, [äˈbisːus]

Noun

abyssus f (genitive abyssī); second declension

1. (Late Latin) an abyss

   Abyssus abyssum invocat. ― The abyss calls the abyss.

   • 405 CE, Jerome, Vulgate Genesis.1.2:

     Terra autem erat inānis et vacua, et tenebrae erant super faciem abyssī et spīritus Deī ferēbātur super aquās.

     And the earth was void and empty, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of God moved over the waters.

Declension

Second-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	abyssus	abyssī
Genitive	abyssī	abyssōrum
Dative	abyssō	abyssīs
Accusative	abyssum	abyssōs
Ablative	abyssō	abyssīs
Vocative	abysse	abyssī

Derived terms

• *abīsmus

Descendants

• Inherited forms:
  • >? Old Galician-Portuguese: avisso
  • Sicilian: avissu (Calabria)
• Ancient borrowings:
  • → Old Irish: abis
    • Irish: aibhéis
• Later borrowings:
  • → Catalan: abís
  • → French: abysse
    • → Romanian: abis
  • → German: Abyssus
  • → Italian: abisso
  • → Middle English: abissus
    • English: abyss
  • → Old French: abis
  • →? Romagnol: abès

References

• Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002) “abyssus”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German), volumes 24: Refonte A–Aorte, page 63

Further reading

• “abyssus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• abyssus 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)