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annuntiatio

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word annuntiatio

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 160–220 Tertullian More words from the 2nd century
Ultimate origin
Latin annūntiō
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin nūntiō
Latin annūntiō
Spanish anunciar
Latin annūntiātiō
English annunciation
Spanish anunciación
From the same root
Latin dēnūntiō ← nūntiō
Latin ēnūntiō ← nūntiō
Latin obnūntiō ← nūntiō
Latin praenūntiō ← nūntiō
Latin prōnūntiō ← nūntiō
Latin renūntiō ← nūntiō
Spanish pronunciar ← nūntiō

Forms

annūntiātiō f (genitive annūntiātiōnis); third declension[1] Also spelled adnūntiātiō;[2] Lewis and Short reject the spelling annunciatio.[2]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin annūntiō + -tiō, a noun of action from the verb meaning “to announce”.[1][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in Tertullian (c. 160–220 AD),[3] meaning an announcement.[2]

Semantic evolution

It belongs to Late and Christian Latin: Lactantius, Arnobius, Augustine and the Vulgate use it for an announcing or proclamation, the message the First Epistle of John says it brings.[2][4] Medieval Latin used it for a report or piece of news, a prophecy, a sermon, a public declaration and an order,[5] and above all for the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary, the feast of 25 March.[5][6][7]

English annunciation came from it through Anglo-French in the early 14th century, first as the name of that feast.[8]

Timeline

  • c. 160–220 AD – Tertullian uses it.[3]
  • 297–310 AD – Arnobius uses it for an announcement.[2][3]
  • 390–406 AD – The Vulgate uses it in the First Epistle of John.[2][3]
  • c. 625 – A papal letter in Bede's history speaks of the announcing of the Holy Spirit.[6]
  • early 14th century – English borrows it, through Anglo-French, as the name of the feast of the Annunciation.[8]

Meanings

Noun

  1. An announcement, proclamation.[2][4][9]
  2. (Medieval Latin) A report, news.[5]
  3. (Medieval Latin) A prophecy, prediction.[5]
  4. (Medieval Latin) Preaching, a sermon.[5]
  5. (Medieval Latin) The Annunciation to the Virgin Mary, and its feast on 25 March.[5][6]
  6. (Medieval Latin) A public declaration; an order.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  6. ^ a b c 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
  7. ^ du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  9. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
Cite this entry

“Annuntiatio.” Etymologically, 7 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/la/annuntiatio. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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