bufus

Latin

Alternative forms

*gūfus

Etymology

Onomatopoeic most likely, based on būbō (“owl”). Possibly explainable as a borrowing from a non-Latin Italic substrate, or from Ancient Greek βοῦφος (boûphos, “eagle owl”).

Alternatively subject to a dissimilation of the /b/ also found in Latin būbalus > Italian bufalo; Latin bubulcus > Italian bifolco. Compare also Latin terrae tuber > Italian tartufo.

Attested in a late gloss.^[1]

Pronunciation

(Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈbuː.fʊs]
(modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈbuː.fus]

Noun

būfus m (genitive būfī); second declension (Late Latin)

owl

Declension

Second-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	būfus	būfī
genitive	būfī	būfōrum
dative	būfō	būfīs
accusative	būfum	būfōs
ablative	būfō	būfīs
vocative	būfe	būfī

Descendants

Eastern Romance:
- Aromanian: buf, bufu, bufã
- Megleno-Romanian: buf
- Romanian: buf, bufă
- → Albanian: buf
- → Medieval Greek: μποῦφος (mpoûphos)
  - Greek: μπούφος (boúfos)
Ibero-Romance:
- Old Galician-Portuguese: bufo
  - Galician: bufo
  - Portuguese: bufo
- Old Spanish: bufo, buho
  - Spanish: búho
⇒ Vulgar Latin: *gūfus
- Italian: gufo

References

^ Lindsay, Wallace Martin. 1894. The Latin Language: An Historical Account of Latin Sounds, Stems and Flexions. Clarendon Press. Page 80.

[1] Lindsay, Wallace Martin. 1894. The Latin Language: An Historical Account of Latin Sounds, Stems and Flexions. Clarendon Press. Page 80.

[1]