Editing Consus (section)

== Etymology ==
The [[etymology]] of the name ''Consus'' is uncertain. It may be of [[Etruscan language|Etruscan]] or [[Sabine language|Sabine]] origin. In the [[folk etymology]] of antiquity,<ref name=delBello-2007/> the name was related to the Latin verb ''conserere'', "to sow," as was the title of the goddess [[Ops]] as ''Consivia'' or ''Consiva''.

The [[Roman Republic|late Republican]] theologian [[Varro]] said that the Consualia were named for Consus.<ref name=Varro-consualia/> [[Georges Dumézil|G. Dumézil]]<ref name=Dumézil-1977/> and G. Capdeville<ref name=Capdeville-1973/> consider verb ''condere'',<ref name=EB1911/> "to store", to be the best etymology: ''Consus'' would be an archaic verbal noun denoting the action of storing grain.

Capdeville states that ''Consus'' cannot be related to ''conserere'' and adjective ''consivius'', and advances the hypothesis that ''condere'' might have to be taken in the meaning of "to found" or "establish".<ref name=Capdeville-1973/><ref name=Capdeville-1993/>{{rp|style=ama|page= 177, note&nbsp;140}}

Ancient sources, [[Sextus Pompeius Festus|Festus]] included, were very fond of the similar sound of ''Consus'' and ''consilium'', and allegorically interpreted his name<ref name=delBello-2007/> as relating to "council" or "assembly" (''consilium'').
Moreover, [[Tertullian]] reports that on one of the ''metae'' of the [[circus maximus]] an inscription read: "''Consus consilio, Mars duello, Lares coillo po[tentes]''".<ref name=Tertullian-V-7/> which may be archaic  considering ''co[v]illo'' and external factors. This is close to "hide" too cf. ''abdere, (abs)condere''. This derivation is certain, but on the other hand, as de&nbsp;Vaan<ref>{{cite book |author=de&nbsp;Vaan, M. |title=Etymological Dictionary of Latin and Italic Languages |place=Leyden |year=2010 |at=s.v.}}</ref> writes on the etymology of ''consilium'', it is very uncertain whence comes the head word, ''consulere-solere'', although very probably not from ''con-sideo''.