gurdus

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Latin

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Etymology

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From Proto-Italic *gʷordos (stubborn, heavy), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *gʷr̥dus, *gʷrd-o- (slow, heavy, tired), though de Vaan acknowledges that the root is an o-stem instead of a u-stem. Quintilian called it a Spanish (possibly Iberian) word.[1] Compare Lithuanian gurdùs, Latvian gur̃ds (tired), Proto-Slavic *gъ̑rdъ (proud), Ancient Greek βραδύς (bradús, slow).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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gurdus m (genitive gurdī); second declension (derogatory)

  1. dolt, numbskull, blockhead, dullard
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:homo stultus
    • c. 177 CE, Aulus Gellius, Noctes Atticae 16.7.8:
      Item in Cacomnemone: Hic est (inquit) ille gurdus, quem ego me abhinc menses duos ex Africa venientem excepisse tibi narravi.
      And in (Laberius') The Forgetful Man: This is that dolt (gurdus) who, when two months ago from Africa I came, did meet me here, as I did say.
    • c. 35 CE – 100 CE, Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria 1.5.57:
      Et gurdos, quos pro stolidis accipit vulgus, ex Hispania duxisse originem audivi.
      While I have heard that gurdus, which is colloquially used in the sense of “stupid,” is derived from Spain.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Decimus Laberius to this entry?)
  2. oaf, lout

Declension

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Second-declension noun.

Case Singular Plural
Nominative gurdus gurdī
Genitive gurdī gurdōrum
Dative gurdō gurdīs
Accusative gurdum gurdōs
Ablative gurdō gurdīs
Vocative gurde gurdī

Synonyms

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  • (dolt, jolterhead, numskull, blockhead, oaf, dullard, lout): caudex

Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • Asturian: gordu
  • Catalan: gord
  • French: gourd
  • Galician: gordo
  • Norman: gourd
  • Portuguese: gordo
  • Spanish: gordo

References

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  1. ^ De Vaan, Michiel (2008) Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 275