LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

arista

arista f (genitive aristae)
Classical[aˈrɪs.ta]Ecclesiastical[aˈris.ta]

Meaning

  1. feminineawn (beard of grain)
  2. feminineear of grain
  3. feminineharvest; summer
  4. femininefishbone or a fibril thereof
  5. femininebristle (e.g. on a fly’s antenna – in Neo-Latin entomology)

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Culmus · Calamus · Stipula · Spica · Arista · Arundo · Canna

1. Culmus means the stalk, with reference to its slender height, especially of corn; calamus (κάλαμος) with reference to its hollowness, especially of reeds. 2. Culmus means the stalk of corn, as bearing the ear, as the body the head, as an integral part of the whole; stipula, as being compared with the ear, a worthless and useless part of the whole, as stubble. 3. Spica is the full ear, the fruit of the corn-stalk, without respect to its shape, arista, the prickly ear, the tip or uppermost part of the stalk, without respect to its substance, sometimes merely the prickles. Quintil. i. 3, 5. Imitatæ spicas herbulæ inanibus aristis ante messem flavescunt. 4. Calamus, as a reed, is the general term; arundo (from ῥοδανός) is a longer and stronger reed; canna (from κανών?) a smaller and thinner reed. Colum. iv. 32. Ea est arundineti senectus, cum ita densatum est, ut gracilis et cannæ similis arundo prodeat. (v. 219.)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativearistaaristae
genitivearistaearistārum
dativearistaearistīs
accusativearistamaristās
ablativearistāaristīs
vocativearistaaristae

ărista, ae, f. perh. for acrista and akin to ācer, q. v., or perh. to aro, q. v.; cf. Germ. Aehre; Engl. ear (of corn); Germ. Ernte, harvest; Engl. earnest, fruit, pledge.
I. The awn or beard of grain: arista, quae ut acus tenuis longa eminete glumā; proinde ut granitheca sit gluma, et apex arista, Varr. R. R. 1, 48; * Cic. Sen. 15, 51; Ov. H. 5, 111; id. Tr. 4, 1, 57.—
II. Meton. (pars pro toto).
A. The ear itself: maturae aristae, Ov. F. 5, 357: pinguis arista, Verg. G. 1, 8; 1, 111; id. A. 7, 720.—Also, an ear of spikenard, Ov. M. 15, 398.—Hence,
2. Poet., summer: Post aliquot, mea regna videns, mirabor aristas, after some harvests, Verg. E. 1, 70: necdum decimas emensus aristas Aggrederis metuenda viris, having measured ten summers, Claud. IV. Cons. Hon. 371 (cf. at the next grass, for next summer, an expression still common in the north of England; so, seven years old at the next grass, Sylvester's Dubartas; just fifteen, coming summer's grass, Swift).—
B. Poet. transf.,
1. Of the hair of men, Pers. 3, 115. —
2. Of the bones of fishes, Aus. Mos. 85; 119.—
3. Of plants in gen., Val. Fl. 6, 365.

Origins

The origin is unknown. Sometimes thus called Etruscan, but this is in the first place not likely since the old Latins were agriculturalists nor are there formal grounds, compare Latin genista (“broom”) for this formation. A derivation from Proto-Indo-European is likely, but concrete relations are unknown. Čop has presented as cognates Lithuanian asȳs, esȳs, esiūklis, asiūklis (“horsetail, equisetum”), Latvian aši, ašas, ašavi, ašavas, ašenes, ašķi, ažģi (“horsetail, equisetum”) (elsewhere one lists a Latgalian ašķi (“horsetail, equisetum”) and puts to the forms also Thracian ἀσᾶ (asâ, “coltsfoot”)), Lithuanian asni̇̀s, ašni̇̀s (“long, protruding hair of a fur animal; rye shoots; edge or sharpness of a scythe”), Epic Greek ἤϊα (ḗïa, “chaff; provisions”), Irish eorna (“barley”) and Hittite [script needed] (ha-a-as /⁠ḫās(s)-⁠/, “ashes; potash; soap”), Hittite [script needed] (ha-a-su-wa-a-i^(SAR) /⁠ḫāsuwāi-⁠/, “soapwort; harmal”). Puhvel finds these alleged cognates motley: he assigns the Hittite word to Proto-Indo-European *h₂eHs- related to burning and ashes, and the Irish word to Proto-Celtic *yewos, from Proto-Indo-European *yéwos (“barley”) also in Proto-Indo-Iranian *yáwas (“barley”). But the comparison just to the Baltic horsetail-words was already made by Bezzenberger. A relation to arundō (“reed”) is somewhat likely, while its etymology is likewise unknown. A relation with Proto-Indo-European *h₃er- (“related to moving, rising”) is considered.

Descendants
  • Catalanaresta
  • Englisharista
  • Frencharête
  • Englisharêtefrom French arête
  • Italianresta
  • Italianarista
  • Portuguesearesta
  • Portuguesearista
  • Spanisharista
  • Spanisharesta

In English words that came into English from arista

  • aristaarista
  • arêtearista
  • aristatearistatus
  • arrisarista
  • aristiformarista

Quick answers

What does arista mean in Latin?
arista, a noun, means “awn (beard of grain); ear of grain; harvest”.
What is the genitive of arista?
The genitive singular is aristae. arista is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce arista?
In classical Latin, [aˈrɪs.ta]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [aˈris.ta].
Which English words come from arista?
English words that go back to Latin arista include arista, arête, arris, aristiform and aristate.