Coelum vs Caelum.

[Tower]

Hello, does anyone know why the word "sky" is spelled "Caelum" and
sometimes "Coelum"? Cicero speaks only of "caelum" and it seems that
"coelum" is only found in late Latin. Is it true or does anyone know an
ancient author (100BC/300AD) using "Coelum"?

Thanks for any answer.

[Evertjan.]

The Greek "koilon" [sky, expanse],
[perhaps from "koilos" [concave, hollow],]
gave the classic Latin "coelum",
while the proto-Italian form "kailom*"
[both from proto-Indo-European "kehiom" [whole],]
gave way to the usual classic Latin "caelum".

The mideaval church Latin preferred the [more mystical IMHO] "coelum".

<https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/coelum-sky-and-kalamos-qalam-reed-
mean-hollow.2452488/>

<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/coelum>
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/caelum>


--
Evertjan.
The Netherlands.
(Please change the x'es to dots in my emailaddress)

[Tower]

Thanks for the links, they are interesting. And for the answer too.

[Evertjan.]

Tower <peter...@nerim.net> wrote on 27 Jul 2019 in alt.language.latin:

I wrote:
>> [both from proto-Indo-European "kehiom" [whole],]

Sorry, miised the "l".

"kehilom"