volucer

Latin edit

Etymology edit

From volō, volāre (“to fly”). The masculine nominative singular form is derived by syncope from *wolukris, which probably developed by dissimilation from earlier *wolu-klis^[1] or *welu-klis,^[2] with a suffix ultimately derived from -*tlis, from Proto-Indo-European *-tl-, a variant of the zero-grade of the agent suffix *-tḗr. Compare alacer. However, De Vaan considers the origin of the ending *-kris to be uncertain.^[3]

Even though the stem of the verb volāre is volā-, this adjective is built on a stem volu- with short /u/, which De Vaan considers unexplained.^[1] Sen argues that the stem *welu- was taken from volucra (“larva of a moth that infests vines”), a derivative of volvō (“to (cause to) roll”), based on semantic and formal similarity.^[2] There is no consensus on the ultimate etymology of volāre (“to fly”), but one hypothesis is that it comes from Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH- (“to throw”); assuming this initial *gʷ is correct, Weiss 2009 reconstructs an earlier stage as *gʷolu-tlis, comparing it to Sanskrit गरुड (garuḍa), which Weiss derives from *garutráḥ,^[4] and Schrijver compares it to Sanskrit गरुत्मान् (garutmān).^[5]

Pronunciation edit

(Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈu̯o.lu.ker/, [ˈu̯ɔɫ̪ʊkɛr]
(modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈvo.lu.t͡ʃer/, [ˈvɔːlut͡ʃer]

Adjective edit

volucer (feminine volucris, neuter volucre); third-declension three-termination adjective

winged
- 29 bc. Vergil. Georgics, III
  omne adeo genvs in terris hominvmqve ferarvmqve
  et genvs æqvorevm pecvdes pictæqve volvcres
  in fvrias ignemqve rvvnt
  So far does every species on earth of man and beast,
  whether the aquatic species, livestock, or painted-winged,
  collapse into the frenzies and the fire [of sex].
- 8 CE, Ovid, Fasti 5.271–272:
  ‘mella meum mūnus: volucrēs ego mella datūrās
  ad violam et cytisōs et thyma cāna vocō.’
  “Honeys [are also] my duty: [It is] I [who] call to the violet, and the clover, and the hoary thyme the winged [ones who are] about to give honeys.”
  (The poetic voice of Flora (mythology) is referring to “bees” as being “winged.” Translating “mella” as nominative and accusative plural, since the varied flowers result in differently colored and flavored honeys.)
flying, able to fly

Declension edit

Third-declension three-termination adjective.

Case / Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Neuter
Number	Singular			Plural
Nominative	volucer	volucris	volucre	volucrēs	volucria
Genitive	volucris			volucrium
Dative	volucrī			volucribus
Accusative	volucrem		volucre	volucrēs	volucria
Ablative	volucrī			volucribus
Vocative	volucer	volucris	volucre	volucrēs	volucria

Derived terms edit

volucris

References edit

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “volō”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 688
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Ranjan Sen (2015) Syllable and Segment in Latin, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, pages 103, 107
^ De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “alacer”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 32
^ Weiss, Michael L. (2009) Outline of the Historical and Comparative Grammar of Latin‎^[1], Ann Arbor: Beech Stave Press, →ISBN, page 318
^ 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, page 470