Gladius - Name

Name

The name is a Latin o-stem noun, its plural being gladii. Gladius is used in literature as early as the plays of Plautus (Casina, Rudens).

Words derived from the word gladius include gladiator ("swordsman") and gladiolus ("little sword," from the diminutive form of gladius), a flowering plant with sword-shaped leaves.

Origin of the word can be derived from the level of weapon finish technology (smooth finishing) in ancient Indo-European languages : Proto-Germanic *glaðo- (“‘smooth’”), from Proto-Indo-European. Cognate with Old High German glat (“‘smooth’”), (Norwegian glatt ("'smooth'"), (German glatt (“‘smooth’”), Old Norse glaðr (“‘smooth; happy’”), Old Bulgarian: гладък (gladak) (“‘smooth’”). Another theory suggests the word perhaps is akin to clades and cardo.