From the origin of ŭlŭlare ‘to howl’ to that of adūlare ‘to adulate’ and Spanish aullar ‘to howl’

Abstract

The term ulula (< *ul-ul-) ‘tawny owl’ was formed by imitating the song of certain nocturnal birds. This onomatopoeic form with resonance in other Indo-European languages gave rise to the verb ŭlŭlare ‘to howl’. This verb is also based on the Indo-European name for the wolf (*wḷ-kwos, cf. lat. Vl-pius) and it is also the term for the howling of a dog. Etymologists have not yet noted that the second verb in our title is lexically based on the first and that the third contains the same preverb as the second. Indeed, the base of ad-ūlare is the result of the dissimilation of the first -l- and subsequent vowel contraction of -ŭlŭlare > *-ŭŭlare > -ūlare. In turn, Spanish aullar has as lexical basis the vulgar form *-ūlulare > *-ūl(u)lar(e) > -ullar, modified by the preverb ad- that reinforces the adlative sense. While ad-ūlare became specialized in the concept of canine and human adulation, *a(d)-ullar > aullar has retained the original reference to howling.