basus
Latin
Etymology
Probably from vāsa (“tools, baggage”), colloquially “penis”. Directly attested only in Cassiodorus’ epitome of Martyrius’ De B muta et V vocalis (6th century), glossed φαλλός (phallós).
Noun
basus m (genitive basī); second declension
- (Late Latin) penis
References
- Niedermann, Max (1909), “Vulgärlateinische Miszellen”, in Glotta (in German), volume 2, issue 1, JSTOR 40264892, page 51
- Souter, Alexander (1949), “basus”, in A Glossary of Later Latin to 600 A.D., 1st edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press, published 1957, page 28