custos (plural custodes)
Of unclear ultimate origin. Per Nowicki 1978, from a compound *kusto-sd- 'who sits near the hidden/near the treasure', where the first element is cognate to Proto-Germanic *huzdą (“hidden treasure”) (also of uncertain etymology; see more at English hoard and below) and the second element is a reduced form of Proto-Indo-European *sed- (“to sit”) But this etymology is disputed.
One proposal derives *kusto- and *huzdą from *kudʰ-to-, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewdʰ- (“to cover, wrap, encase”), from *(s)kewH- (“to cover, hide”), whence Ancient Greek κεύθω (keúthō, “to conceal”) and Old English hȳdan (“to hide, conceal, preserve”). But the derivation of Latin /st/ and Proto-Germanic *zd from PIE *dʰ-t is controversial. Some etymologists consider /st/ to be the regular outcome in Latin of PIE *dʰ-t, based on aestās and aestus; according to this view, the /ss/ found in participle forms such as iussus and fossus was introduced by analogy with forms built on stems ending in other dental consonants. But Michiel de Vaan argues that it is better to analyze /ss/ as the regular outcome of *dʰ-t, and the /st/ of aestās and aestus as an analogical reformation. Thus, De Vaan considers the /st/ in custos unexplained and the etymology unknown.
Oswald Szemerényi (1952/3 ) alternatively derives the /st/ here and the *zd in Proto-Germanic *huzdą from PIE *sdʰ, tracing both back to a Proto-Indo-European *k(e)wsdʰo- (“palace, treasure house, treasure”). This etymology is accepted by Ringe 2006 who mentions Ancient Greek κύσθος (kústhos, “vulva”) as another cognate. However, Lubotsky 2004 finds this unconvincing and considers the regular outcome of *sdʰ in Latin to be a long vowel + /d/.
custōs m (genitive custōdis); third declension
Third-declension noun.
Case | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
Nominative | custōs | custōdēs |
Genitive | custōdis | custōdum |
Dative | custōdī | custōdibus |
Accusative | custōdem | custōdēs |
Ablative | custōde | custōdibus |
Vocative | custōs | custōdēs |
custos