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

1. (Late Latin) penis

References

• Niedermann, Max (1909), “Vulgärlateinische Miszellen”, in Glotta (in German), volume 2, number 1, →JSTOR, 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