basus
Latin edit
Etymology edit
Probably from vāsa (“tools, baggage”), colloquially “penis”. Directly attested only in Cassiodorus’ epitome of Martyrius’ De B muta et V vocalis (6th century), glossed φαλλός (phallós).
Noun edit
basus m (genitive basī); second declension
References edit
- Niedermann, Max (1909) “Vulgärlateinische Miszellen”, in Glotta (in German), volume 2, number 1, →JSTOR, page 51
- Souter, Alexander (1949) “basus”, in A Glossary of Later Latin to 600 A.D.[1], 1st edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press, published 1957, page 28