Latin

edit

Alternative forms

edit

Etymology

edit

Generally regarded as deriving from rotō (turn, revolve) or rota (wheel) +‎ -undus. First attested in the works of Cato the Elder (circa 200 BC).

It has also been suggested that the alternative form retundus, whence most of the Romance descendants derive, actually reflects the original Latin form (despite only being attested from the seventh century CE). If so, the first element would derive from an older *retō, from Proto-Indo-European *Hreth₂- (cf. Proto-Celtic *reteti), and the Classical rotundus would reflect later influence from rota (wheel).[1]

Pronunciation

edit

Adjective

edit

rotundus (feminine rotunda, neuter rotundum, comparative rotundior, superlative rotundissimus); first/second-declension adjective

  1. round, circular
  2. spherical, rotund
  3. (figuratively) rounded, perfect
  4. (figuratively, of speech) polished, elegant

Declension

edit

First/second-declension adjective.

singular plural
masculine feminine neuter masculine feminine neuter
nominative rotundus rotunda rotundum rotundī rotundae rotunda
genitive rotundī rotundae rotundī rotundōrum rotundārum rotundōrum
dative rotundō rotundae rotundō rotundīs
accusative rotundum rotundam rotundum rotundōs rotundās rotunda
ablative rotundō rotundā rotundō rotundīs
vocative rotunde rotunda rotundum rotundī rotundae rotunda

Derived terms

edit
edit

Descendants

edit

(See also retundus, *torundus.)

  • Insular Romance:
    • Sardinian: rodundu, orrudundu (both medieval)
  • North Italian:
  • Gallo-Romance:
  • Ancient borrowings:
  • Later borrowings:

References

edit
  1. ^ Buchi, Éva, Schweickard, Wolfgang (2008–) “*/reˈtʊnd-u/”, in Dictionnaire Étymologique Roman, Nancy: Analyse et Traitement Informatique de la Langue Française.

Further reading

edit
  • rotundus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • rotundus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • rotundus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.