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alacritas

Etymology and origin of the Latin word alacritas

History

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [aˈɫa.krɪ.taːs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [aˈlaː.kri.tas][1]

Forms

alacritās f (genitive alacritātis); third declension[1]

Etymology

It is formed from alacer “lively, brisk” with the suffix -tās.[2][3][1] De Vaan considers deriving alacer from the root Proto-Indo-European *h₂elh₂- (“to wander, roam”) of ambulāre “to walk”, with a rare suffix *-kri-, though the meanings do not compel this.[4][5] Etymonline also mentions a comparison with Gothic 𐌰𐌻𐌾𐌰𐌽 (aljan, “zeal”) and Old English ellen (“courage, zeal”).[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Cicero,[6] who speaks of his eagerness to defend the republic and of the enthusiasm that the crowd of the Roman people gave him.[2][7][3]

Semantic evolution

It meant enthusiasm, zeal or liveliness, as in Caesar's alacritas studiumque pugnandi “eagerness and zeal for fighting” and Cicero's description of hounds keen in the chase.[2][7] It also meant gladness or rapture shown outwardly, and Cicero, following the Stoics, calls inanis alacritas “empty exultation” a passion close to madness.[7][3] The TLL notes that it is a word of praise except in these philosophical passages.[3]

Donatus defines it as a change in the expression of someone exulting in hope.[3] Medieval writers used it for cheerfulness and joy.[8] English borrowed it as English alacrity in the mid-15th century.[5]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it for zeal and for empty exultation.[2][3][6]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar writes of the soldiers' eagerness to fight.[7][6]
  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy tells of a shout raised in joy at finished work.[7][6]
  • 98–115 AD – Tacitus describes the ardour that followed a general's speech.[7][6]
  • mid-15th century – English borrows it as English alacrity.[5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Enthusiasm, zeal, eagerness, liveliness.[2][7]
  2. Joy, gladness; exultation, rapture.[7][8]
  • alacer
  • alacriter
  • English alacrity

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  6. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  8. ^ a b Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
Cite this entry

“Alacritas.” Etymologically, 10 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/alacritas. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on .