Jump to content

ursus

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: Ursus

Latin

[edit]
ursus (a bear)

Etymology

[edit]

    Undoubtedly from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ŕ̥tḱos (“bear”), though it is not exactly clear how the term developed in Italic. Schrijver postulates an Italic sound-law wherein *#HLC- sequences became aLC- in Latin, as perhaps indicated by terms such as argentum (perhaps from *h₂ŕ̥ǵn̥tom), in which case the initial u- is unexpected.[1] However, the linguist Stefan Höfler argues that *#HLC- operated like other *#CLC- sequences, such as mors (< *mr̥t-), in which case *h₂ŕ̥tḱos would develop into *orksos, whence ursus.[2] Schrijver, however, suggests that—even if *#HLC- yielded Latin #oLC-—the outcome ursus would still be irregular, as the expected result would be **orsus, and it can thus be disregarded as evidence for the ordinary development of *#HLC- in Latin.[1] Another linguist, Frederick Kortlandt, has explained the unusual vocalism as the result of influence from urcō (“to roar”). Ultimately, De Vaan suggests that the unexpected sound changes may have arisen as a taboo distortion. For the outcome -s- from original *-tḱ-, compare sinō.[3] Doublet of Arctos.

    Pronunciation

    [edit]

    Noun

    [edit]

    ursus m (genitive ursī); second declension

    1. a bear

    Declension

    [edit]

    Second-declension noun.

    singular plural
    nominative ursus ursī
    genitive ursī ursōrum
    dative ursō ursīs
    accusative ursum ursōs
    ablative ursō ursīs
    vocative urse ursī

    Derived terms

    [edit]

    Descendants

    [edit]
    • Insular Romance:
      • Sardinian: ursu, ussu
    • Balkano-Romance:
    • Italo-Dalmatian:
    • Rhaeto-Romance:
    • Gallo-Italic:
    • Gallo-Romance:
      • Northern:
      • Franco-Provençal: ors
      • Southern:
    • Ibero-Romance:
    • Borrowings:

    References

    [edit]
    1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Schrijver, Peter C. H. (1991), The Reflexes of the Proto-Indo-European Laryngeals in Latin (Leiden Studies in Indo-European; 2), Amsterdam, Atlanta: Rodopi, →ISBN, pages 71-72
    2. ^ Höfler, Stefan (2025), “Rix’s Law in Latin and the Etymology of īnfula ‘band, bandage”, in Pultrová, Lucie, Vaníková, Martina, editors, Exploring Latin: Structures, Functions, Meaning: Volume I: Word. Volume II: Clause and Discourse‎[1], Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, →DOI, pages 8-9
    3. ^ De Vaan, Michiel (2008), “ursus”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 645
    • “ursus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
    • “ursus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
    • “ursus”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
    • “ursus”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898), Harper’s Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
    • “ursus”, in William Smith, editor (1848), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, London: John Murray
    Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=ursus&oldid=91148593"