dossum

Latin

Etymology

Colloquial form. For the /rs/ > /ss/, cf. prōsum, rūsum, sūsum (with subsequent shortening of /ss/ after long vowels) and the Romance descendants of deorsum or ursus.

Noun

dossum n (genitive dossī); second declension (proscribed)

1. Alternative form of dorsum (“back”)
   • [98–138 CE, Velius Longus, edited by Henricus Keilius, Liber de orthographia (Grammatici Latini; VII)‎^[1], published 1880, page 79, lines 4–6:

     sic et dossum per duo s quam per r dorsum quidam ut lenius enuntiaverunt. ac tota r littera sublata est in eo quod est rusum et retrosum.

     And in this way, some [say] "dossum" with two s's instead of "dorsum" with an r to sound gentler. But to all, r is a sunk letter in "rusum" and "retrosum".]

Declension

Second-declension noun (neuter).

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	dossum	dossa
Genitive	dossī	dossōrum
Dative	dossō	dossīs
Accusative	dossum	dossa
Ablative	dossō	dossīs
Vocative	dossum	dossa

Descendants

• Balkan Romance:
  • Romanian: dos
• Dalmatian:
  • duas
• North Italian:
  • Romansch: dies
• Italo-Romance:
  • Italian: dosso
• Gallo-Romance:
  • Catalan: dos (archaic)
  • Old French: dos
    • French: dos
    • Norman: dos (Jersey)
    • Walloon: dos
• Ibero-Romance:
  • Old Galician-Portuguese: dosso
  • Spanish: Dueso (toponym)