1. aqua — de Vaan
The corpus record — Latin
aqua
aqua
water
Generated live from the audited Latin corpus — every figure on this page is a database query, not prose from memory.
Where it lives
- De Baptismo 77 · 180.29/10k
- De agri cultura 79 · 50.5/10k
- Ibis 19 · 48.35/10k
- Copa, Appendix Vergiliana 1 · 42.19/10k
- De Medicina 407 · 39.71/10k
- De Architectura 206 · 35.72/10k
- Fasti 109 · 34.95/10k
- De Re Coquinaria 53 · 33.79/10k
- Carmen Saeculare 1 · 32.36/10k
- Ex Ponto 60 · 28.92/10k
- Naturalis Historia 1,128 · 28.45/10k
- Amores 44 · 28.16/10k
Densest 12 of 233 attested works shown, by occurrences per 10,000 attested tokens.
What it meant
aqua 'water' by folk etymology). Similarly aquifolium to older acru/ifolius/m, see deer. The pointed beak of a sturgeon and/or its elongated form make a derivation from *acu- 'pointed' likely, Oniga 1999 and Guasparri 2000 independently ai^ue that the nom.sg. Mart, acupensis probably was the original form, which acquired an inflection in ~/s, -eris9 and then generalized -penser, the form found in most authors. The … — [de Vaan, s.v. aqua, p. 37]
2. aqua — de Vaan
aqua 'water' [f. a] (Naev.+) Derivatives: aquola 'a small stream' (P1.+), aquosus 'well-watered' (Cato+), aqualis 'watery, for water' (Cato+), aquariusrius [adj. / m.] 'of/ for water' (Cato), aquatus 'mixed with water' (Cato+), aquatilis 'watery, aquatic' (Varro); aquitex, -gis 'water-diviner' (Varro*). Pit. *akwa- 'water'. IE cognates: Go. aha, OHG aha < PGm. *αχ"ό 'water*. According to Beekes 1998, other suggested … — [de Vaan, s.v. aqua, p. 62]
3. ăqua — Lewis & Short
ăqua, ae (ACVA,
Inscr. Grut. 593, 5;I gen. aquāï, Plaut. Mil. 2, 6, 71; Lucr. 1, 284; 1. 285; 1, 307; 1, 454 et saep.; Verg. A. 7, 464; poët. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 9, 15; Cic. Arat. 179; Prud. Apoth. 702; the dat. aquaï also was used acc. to Charis. p. 538; v. Neue, Formenl. I. pp. 9, 11, 12; pp. 14 sq.;
aquae, as trisyl.,Lucr. 6, 552 Lachm.), f. cf. Sanscr. ap = water; Wallach. apa, and Goth. ahva = river; old Germ. Aha; Celt. achi; and the Gr. proper names *mess-a/pi-oi and gh= *)api/-a, and the Lat. Apuli, Apiola; prob. ultimately con. with Sanscr. ācus = swift, ācer, and w)ku/s, from the notion of quickly, easily moving. Curtius..
I. A. Water, in its most gen. signif. (as an element, rainwater, river-water, sea-water, etc.; in class. Lat. often plur. to denote several streams, springs, in one place or region, and com. plur. in Vulg. O. T. after the Hebrew):
aër, aqua, terra, vapores, Quo pacto fiant,Lucr. 1, 567: SI. AQVA. PLVVIA. NOCET, Fragm. of the XII. Tab. ap. Dig. 40, 7, 21; cf. Dirks. Transl. p. 486; so also of titles in the Digg. 39, 3; cf. ib. 43, 20:
pluvialis,rain-water, Ov. M. 8, 335, and Sen. Q. N. 3, 1; so,
aquae pluviae,Cic. Mur. 9, 22; Plin. 2, 103, 106, § 233; Quint. 10, 1, 109 (and pluviae absol., Cic. Att. 15, 16, B; Lucr. 6, 519; Verg. G. 1, 92; Ov. F. 2, 71; Plin. 2, 106, 110, § 227); so,
caelestes aquae,Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 135; Liv. 4, 30, 7; 5, 12, 2; Plin. 17, 2, 2, § 14; so,
aquae de nubibus,Vulg. 2 Reg. 22, 12: aquae nivis, snow-water, ib. Job, 9, 30:
fluvialis,river-water, Col. 6, 22; so,
aqua fluminis,Vulg. Jer. 2, 18:
aquaï fons,Lucr. 5, 602:
fons aquae,Vulg. Gen. 24, 13:
fontes aquarum, ib. Joel, 1, 20: flumen aquae,Verg. A. 11, 495:
fluvius aquae,Vulg. Apoc. 22, 1:
rivus aquae,Verg. E. 8, 87:
rivi aquarum,Vulg. Isa. 32, 2:
torrens aquae,ib. Macc. 5, 40; and plur., ib. Jer. 31, 9: dulcis, fresh-water, Fr. eau douce, Lucr. 6, 890:
fons aquae dulcis,Cic. Verr. 4, 118; and plur.:
aquae dulces,Verg. G. 4, 61; id. A. 1, 167: marina, sea-water (v. also salsus, amarus), Cic. Att. 1, 16; so,
aquae maris,Vulg. Gen. 1, 22; ib. Exod. 15, 19:
dulcis et amara aqua,ib. Jac. 3, 11:
perennis,never-failing, Liv. 1, 21; and plur.:
quo in summo (loco) est aequata agri planities et aquae perennes,Cic. Verr. 4, 107:
aqua profluens,running-water, id. Off. 1, 16, 52; so,
currentes aquae,Vulg. Isa. 30, 25; so,
aqua viva,living-water, Varr. L. L. 5, 26, 35; Vulg. Gen. 26, 19; and plur.:
aquae vivae,ib. Num. 19, 17;
and in a spiritual sense: aqua viva,ib. Joan. 4, 10; so,
vitae,ib. Apoc. 22, 17:
aquae viventes,ib. Lev. 14, 5:
stagna aquae,standing-water, Prop. 4, 17, 2; and plur., Vulg. Psa. 106, 35; so, stativae aquae, Varr. ap. Non. p. 217, 2:
aquae de puteis,well-water, Vulg. Num. 20, 17:
aqua de cisternā,cisternwater, ib. 2 Reg. 23, 16; so,
aqua cisternae,ib. Isa. 36, 16:
aquae pessimae,ib. 4 Reg. 2, 19:
aqua recens,Verg. A. 6, 636:
turbida,Vulg. Jer. 2, 18:
crassa,ib. 2 Macc. 1, 20:
munda,ib. Heb. 10, 22:
purissima,ib. Ezech. 34, 18:
aquae calidae,warm-water, ib. Gen. 36, 24; and absol.:
calida,Cato, R. R. 156, 3; Plin. 25, 7, 38, § 77; Tac. G. 22;
and contr.: calda,Col. 6, 13; Plin. 23, 4, 41, § 83: aqua fervens, boiling-water:
aliquem aquā ferventi perfundere,Cic. Verr. 1, 67:
aqua frigida,cold-water, Plaut. Cist. 1, 1, 37; Vulg. Prov. 25, 23; ib. Matt. 10, 42; and absol.:
frigida,Cels. 1, 5; Plin. Ep. 3, 5, 11; Quint. 5, 11, 31: aqua decocta, water boiled and then cooled with ice or snow, Mart. 14, 116; and absol.:
decocta,Juv. 5, 50; Suet. Ner. 48 al.—
B Particular phrases.
1 Praebere aquam, to invite to a feast, to entertain (with ref. to the use of water at table for washing and drinking), Hor. S. 1, 4, 88 (cf. id. ib. 2, 2, 69).—
2 Aquam aspergere alicui, to give new life or courage, to animate, refresh, revive (the fig. taken from sprinkling one who is in a swoon):
ah, adspersisti aquam! Jam rediit animus,Plaut. Truc. 2, 4, 15.—
3 Aqua et ignis, to express the most common necessaries of life:
non aquā, non igni, ut aiunt, locis pluribus utimur quam amicitiā,Cic. Lael. 6, 22.—Hence aquā et igni interdicere alicui, to deny intercourse or familiarity with one, to exclude from civil society, to banish, Cic. Phil. 1, 9; so the bride, on the day of marriage, received from the bridegroom aqua et ignis, as a symbol of their union: aquā et igni tam interdici solet damnatis quam accipiunt nuptae, videlicet quia hae duae res humanam vitam maxime continent, Paul. ex Fest. p. 3 Müll. (this custom is differently explained in Varr. L. L. 5, 9, 18): aquam et terram petere, of an enemy (like gh=n kai\ u(/dwr ai)tei=n), to demand submission, Liv. 35, 17:
aquam ipsos (hostes) terramque poscentium, ut neque fontium haustum nec solitos cibos relinquerent deditis,Curt. 3, 10, 8.— Provv.
a Ex uno puteo similior numquam potis Aqua aquaï
sumi quam haec est atque ista hospita,you can't find two peas more like, Plaut. Mil. 1, 6, 70 sq.—
b In aquā scribere = kaq' u(/datos gra/fein, to write in water, of something transient, useless:
cupido quod dicit amanti, In vento et rapidā scribere oportet aquā,Cat. 70, 4 (cf. Keats' epitaph on himself: here lies one whose name was writ in water; and the Germ., etwas hinter die Feueresse schreiben).—
II Water, in a more restricted sense.
A The sea:
coge, ut ad aquam tibi frumentum Ennenses metiantur,on the sea-coast, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 83:
laborum quos ego sum terrā, quos ego passus aquā,Ov. P. 2, 7, 30:
findite remigio aquas!id. F. 3, 586.—Trop.: Venimus in portum ... Naviget hinc aliā jam mihi linter aquā, in other waters let my bark now sail (cf. Milton in the Lycidas:
To-morrow to fresh woods and pastures new),Ov. F. 2, 864.—
B = la. cus, a lake:
Albanae aquae deductio,Cic. Div. 1, 44 fin.—
C A stream, a river. in Tuscae gurgite mersus aquae, i. e. Albula, Ov. F. 4, 48:
alii in aquam caeci ruebant,Liv. 1, 27:
sonitus multarum aquarum,of many streams, Vulg. Isa. 17, 12; ib. Apoc. 1, 15; 19, 6:
lignum, quod plantatum est secus decursus aquarum,along the watercourses, ib. Psa. 1, 3.—
D Rain:
cornix augur aquae,Hor. C. 3, 17, 12:
deūm genitor effusis aethera siccat aquis,Ov. F. 3, 286:
multā terra madescit aquā,id. ib. 6, 198:
aquae magnae bis eo anno fuerunt,heavy rains, a flood, inundation, Liv. 24, 9; 38, 28.—
E In the plur., medicinal springs, waters, baths.
1 In gen.:
ad aquas venire,Cic. Planc. 27, 65; id. Fam. 16, 24, 2:
aquae caldae,Varr. L. L. 9, 69, p. 219 Müll.:
aquae calidae,Plin. 2, 103, 106, § 227:
aquae medicatae,Sen. Q. N. 3, 25:
aquae Salutiferae,Mart. 5, 1.—Hence,
2 As prop. noun, Waters. Some of the most important were.
a ăquae ăpollĭnāres, in Etruria, prob. the Phoebi vada of Mart. 6, 42, 7, now Bagni di Stigliano, Tab. Peut.—
b ăquae Aurēlĭae, in the Black Forest in Germany, now Baden-Baden, Inscr.—
c ăquae Baiae, in Campania, Prop. 1, 11, 30; earlier called ăquae Cūmānae, Liv. 41, 16.—
d ăquae Călĭdae,
(a) In Britain, now Bath; also called ăquae Sōlis, Itin Anton.—
(b) In Zeugitana on the Gulf of Carthage, now Hammam Gurbos, Liv. 30, 24, 9; Tab. Peut.—
(g) In Gallia, now Vichy on the Allier, Tab. Theod.—
e ăquae Cĭcĕrōnĭānae, at Cicero's villa at Puteoli, Plin. 31, 2, 3, § 6.—
f ăquae Mattĭăcae, among the Mattiaci in Germany, now Wiesbaden, Amm. 29, 4, also called Fontes Mattĭăci in Plin. 31, 2, 17, § 20.—
g ăquae Sextĭae, near Massilia, once a famous watering-place, now Aix, Liv Epit 61; Vell. 1, 15; Plin. 3, 4, 5, § 36.—
h ăquae Tauri or Tau-ri Thermae, in Etruria, now Bagni di Ferrata, Plin. 3, 5, 8, § 52. V. Smith, Dict. Geog., s. v. Aquae.—
F The water in the water-clock. From the use of this clock in regulating the length of speeches, etc. (cf. clepsydra), arose the tropical phrases,
(a) Aquam dare, to give the advocate time for speaking, Plin. Ep. 6, 2, 7.—
(b) Aquam perdere, to spend time unprofitably, to waste it, Quint. 11, 3, 52.—
(g) Aqua haeret, the water stops, i.e. I am at a loss, Cic. Off. 3, 33, 117:
in hac causā mihi aqua haeret,id. ad Q. Fr. 2, 7.—
G Aqua intercus, the water under the skin of a dropsical person;
hence, as med. t.,the dropsy, Plaut. Men. 5, 4, 3:
medicamentum ad aquam intercutem dare,Cic. Off. 3, 24, 92:
decessit morbo aquae intercutis,Suet. Ner 5; cf. Cels. 2, 8.—Trop.: aquam in animo habere intercutem, Lucil. ap. Non. p. 37, 3.—
III Aqua, the name of a constellation, Gr. *(/udwr:
hae tenues stellae perhibentur nomine Aquāī,Cic. Arat. 179 (as translation of tou\s pa/ntas kale/ousin *(/udwr); v. Orell. ad h. l.
4. aqua — Walde–Hofmann
aqua, -ae f. „Wasser, Wasserleitung“ (seit XH tab. rom. nebst den Ablt. -grius, -üriolus, -ütws, -ilentus, -0sus; vgl. noch -ätilis, -alis, davon -àlicus m. ,Schweinsmagen, Wanst*; über acka Lucr. s, Leumann-Stolz* 112): = got. aka f. „Fluß, Gewässer”, an. ó, ags. £a, as. ahd. aha, nhd. Ache ds. (grm. *áhwo; davon abgel. *ahwi *ahwjös „das vom Wasser Umgebene* in an. ey f. „Insel, Aue“, ags. ieg, ahd. -suwa, -awa, … — [Walde–Hofmann, s.v. aqua, p. 92]
In the wild
- aqua Celsus, De Medicina 1.2.p3
- aqua Tertullian, De Baptismo 9
- aqua Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia 28.11.p3
- aquis Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia 15.27
- aquas Columella, Res Rustica, Books I-IX 8.17.5
- aquae Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia 32.9.p1
6 of 4,217 attestations shown.
Where it came from
- Treated in de Vaan, Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Brill 2008) s.v. aqua (scan pp. 37-38; entry #6). Root candidates: *acu-, *ak-.
- Treated in Ernout-Meillet, Dictionnaire etymologique de la langue latine s.v. aqua (scan p. 65; entry #742).
- Treated in Walde-Hofmann, Lateinisches etymologisches Worterbuch s.v. aqua (scan p. 92; entry #248).
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Latin text and lemmatization derived from the Perseus Digital Library (canonical-latinLit), CC BY-SA 4.0. Lewis & Short (public domain) via Perseus. This derived data is shared under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 license.