caupo

Latin

Alternative forms

• cōpō, cūpō

Etymology

Cognate with Ancient Greek κᾰ́πηλος (kápēlos), possibly from Pre-Greek, likely borrowed separately. A derivation of either from Proto-Indo-European *kʷreyh₂- (“to buy”), whence ἐπρῐάμην (epriámēn) as suppletive aorist of ὠνέομαι (ōnéomai, “to buy”), seems far-fetched. Beekes mentions, Furnee offers Hittite 𒄩𒀊𒉺𒅈 (ḫappar, “purchase, price”) as a comparandum, in which case the IE derivation would be *h₃ep-, whence ops (“power”) and Homeric Ancient Greek ἀφνειός (aphneiós, “rich, wealthy”), although also speculative. Gemoll considers a connection to Ancient Greek κάπτω (káptō, “gulp down, snap”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈkau̯.poː/, [ˈkäu̯poː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈkau̯.po/, [ˈkäːu̯po]

Noun

caupō m (genitive caupōnis, feminine caupōna); third declension

1. tradesman
2. innkeeper, shopkeeper, tavern-keeper

Declension

Third-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	caupō	caupōnēs
Genitive	caupōnis	caupōnum
Dative	caupōnī	caupōnibus
Accusative	caupōnem	caupōnēs
Ablative	caupōne	caupōnibus
Vocative	caupō	caupōnēs

Derived terms

• caupōna
• caupōnor

Descendants

• → Proto-Germanic: *kaupô (“innkeeper; merchant”) (see there for further descendants)

References

• “caupo”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “caupo”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• caupo 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)
• caupo in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• “caupo”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898), Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “caupo”, in William Smith et al., editor (1890), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin
• Furnée, Edzard Johan (1972) Die wichtigsten konsonantischen Erscheinungen des Vorgriechischen (Janua linguarum. Series practica; 150) (in German), The Hague and Paris: Mouton, page 302
• Wilhelm Gemoll: Griechisch-deutsches Schul- und Handwörterbuch. öbv & hpt / Oldenbourg, Vienna and Munich ⁹1965, p. 407.