ursus1
Meaning
- masculinea bear
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
magna bēstia silvae; mel amat.Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | ursus | ursī |
| genitive | ursī | ursōrum |
| dative | ursō | ursīs |
| accusative | ursum | ursōs |
| ablative | ursō | ursīs |
| vocative | urse | ursī |
fumantem nasum vivi tentaveris ursi, i. e. to provoke a dangerous person. Mart. 6, 64, 28: ursum poscunt, a bear-baiting in the circus, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 186.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
Origins
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. 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. 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. 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. Doublet of Arctos.
- Frenchoursfrom Franco-Provençal ors
- Catalanos
- Occitanors
- Walloonoûssefrom Franco-Provençal ors
- Sardinianursu
- Sardinianussu
- Portugueseussofrom Old Galician-Portuguese usso
- Spanishosofrom Old Spanish osso
- Aragoneseonso
- Asturianosu
- Leoneseosu
- Falaosufrom Old Galician-Portuguese usso
- Galicianosofrom Old Galician-Portuguese usso
- Yaquihoosofrom Old Spanish osso
- Ladinolonsofrom Old Spanish osso
- Romanianurs
- Aromanianursu
- Italianorso
- Corsicanorsu
- Dalmatianuars
- Neapolitanurzo
- Sicilianursu
- Venetanors
- Venetanorso
- Malteseors
- Portugueseurso
- Esperantourso
- Senhaja de Srairursela
- TranslingualUrsus
- Friulianors
- Ladinlors
- Romanshurs
- Romanshuors
- Emilianåurs
- Ligurianorso
- Lombardors
- Piedmonteseurs
- Romagnolórs