(H)ariuga/(h)aruiga. An etymological research

The term (h)ariuga/(h)aruiga is exclusively attested as a gloss for a sacrificial animal in Latin grammarians. However, inconsistencies in the textual transmission of the term – with fluctuations in the presence or absence of the initial h- and a different sequence of the (semi-)vocalic elements of the central syllable – necessitate a critical examination of the manuscript tradition of primary sources like Varro and Festus. A subsequent morphological analysis aims to determine the word’s structure. This study reviews previous etymological proposals, ultimately rejecting those deemed untenable and ranking the remaining possibilities. By comparing Latin and Greek data, we dismiss the notion of a simple term, prevalent until the 19th century. While most contemporary scholars favor a compound structure, their reconstructions often face semantic challenges. Our research re-examines the hypothesis of a derivative with the prefix ad- and introduces novel explanations to enhance the semantic plausibility of the term.