Etymology and origin of the Latin word -ura
- Confidence
- Established
- Formation
- Derivation
- First attested
- c. 250–184 BC Plautus
- Ultimate origin
- Latin -tūra
Forms
-ūra f (genitive -ūrae); first declension[1]
Etymology
The suffix is from Latin -tūra, which typically made abstract nouns from the stem of the supine or perfect participle.[1][2] Weiss treats -tūra, -sūra and -ūra together, as verbal abstracts that seem related to the perfect passive participle or to abstracts in ⟨-tu-⟩.[2] The OLD describes it as made mainly from verbal derivatives in -tus3, but also from nouns in -tor for an office or occupation.[3]
Earliest recorded meaning
Plautus already has nātūra, statūra and ūsūra, which Weiss sets beside nātus2, status and ūsus.[2][3]
Semantic evolution
It was generalized to perfect participles, as in iactūra and litterātūra.[2] From nouns in -tor it made names of offices, such as cēnsūra and praetūra,[3] with praefectūra “position of authority” already in Plautus.[2] Other words have other sources, such as architectūra and figūra.[3] A table in Weiss, based on Quellet, counts about 400 words in -tūra.[2] In post-Classical Latin it also formed abstract nouns from adjectives.[1]
Timeline
- c. 250–184 BC – Plautus has nātūra, statūra, ūsūra, praefectūra and scrīptūra.[2][3][4]
- 234–149 BC – Cato has cultūra.[3][2][4]
- 116–27 BC – Varro has mēnsūra.[2][4]
- 81–43 BC – Cicero has iactūra and litterātūra.[2][4]
Meanings
Suffix
- Forms feminine abstract nouns, mainly from verbal derivatives: nātūra, ūsūra.[3][2]
- Forms nouns for an office or occupation from nouns in -tor: cēnsūra, praetūra.[3]
- (post-Classical) Forms abstract nouns from adjectives.[1]
Word family
- nātūra
- statūra
- ūsūra
- cultūra
- cēnsūra
- praetūra
- praefectūra
- scrīptūra
- mēnsūra
- iactūra
- litterātūra
- figūra
- architectūra
Related words
- English -ure
References
- ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Weiss, Michael (2020), Outline of the Historical and Comparative Grammar of Latin, 2nd ed., Ann Arbor: Beech Stave
- ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
- ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
Borrowed into
- English -ure
Cite this entry
“-ura.” Etymologically, 6 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/la/-ura. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.
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