Cognate Set 1565 – Meaning: white

IE-CoR reference form:
ἄσπρος / áspros
IE-CoR reference language:
Ancient Greek
Ideophonic:
no
Parallel derivation:
no
Loan event:
yes
Parallel loan event:
no
Loan source language:
Latin
Source lexeme in loan source language:
asper
Justification:
Loanword from Lat. asper 'rough' as a transferred adjective in the phrase nummi aspri 'rough coins', the original semantic development to 'white' appears to have been '(rough) silver' → 'silver-white' → 'white', cf. Babinotis 2010:223-224, Beekes 2010:154.
Found in clades:
Hellenic
Revised by:
Matthew Scarborough
Found in 1 clade by 6 lexemes.
Language Lexeme Native script Phonetic Phonemic Notes
8   Greek: Modern Std áspros άσπρος ˈaspro̞s ˈaspro̞s
11   Greek: Cypriot áspros άσπρος ˈɐsprɔs ˈɐsprɔs
14   Tsakonian: Propontis áspre άσπρε ˈaspre̞ ˈaspre̞
10   Greek: Pontic áspros άσπρος ˈasrpo̞s ˈasrpo̞s
9   Greek: Cappadocian áspro άσπρο ˈaspro ˈaspro
12   Greek: Italiot áspro άσπρο ˈaspro̞ ˈaspro̞ It.
References
  • Babinotis, George: 223-224
    S.v. άσπρος. Loanword from Lat. asper 'rough' as in the phrase nummi asperi 'rough coins', i.e. new coins which had just been cut and had not yet been worn down from circulation. The semantic development appears to be one via a transferred adjective '(rough) silver' → 'silver-white' → 'white'.
  • Beekes, Robert: 154
    S.v. ἄσπρος 'rough'. A loanword from Lat. asper.