Etymologically
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agricultura

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [a.ɡrɪ.kʊɫˈtuː.ra], [a.ɡrɪ.kʊɫˈtuː.raː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [a.ɡri.kulˈtuː.ra], [a.ɡri.kulˈtuː.ra][1]

Forms

agricultūra f (genitive agricultūrae); first declension[1]

Etymology

It is a contraction of the phrase agrī cultūra (“cultivation of the field”), from the genitive of ager “field” and cultūra “cultivation”.[2][1][3] Lewis and Short and Gaffiot prefer the separate spelling, and the OLD lists it under the entry for cultivation.[3][4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Cicero praises grafting as the cleverest invention of agriculture, and Caesar says the Germans do not devote themselves to it.[3][4] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant agriculture, the cultivation of land, as Cicero's homo agrī cultūrae “a farmer”.[3][4]

In Medieval Latin it meant the demesne, an arable field or ploughland, and figuratively, after Paul's “you are God's field”, the spiritual cultivation of souls.[7][8] It survives in Italian agricoltura and Spanish and Portuguese agricultura.[1] English agriculture came in the mid-15th century, first used figuratively of God's work.[2]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero praises the inventions of agriculture.[3][6]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar says the Germans do not practise it.[3][6]
  • 639–709 AD – Aldhelm uses it as one word.[6]
  • mid-15th century – English agriculture is recorded.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Agriculture, cultivation of land.[3][4]
  2. (Medieval Latin) Arable land; the demesne.[7][8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b c d Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  5. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  8. ^ a b Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press