at

Forms

at ^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *ati, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *h₂et(i) (“back, away”); the final /t/ goes back to Proto-Italic ⟨*-ti⟩.^[2][1] The old prefix use survives in atavus (“great-great-great-grandfather”).^[2]

Cognate with Ancient Greek ἀτάρ (atár, “but, nevertheless”), Old Irish aith- (“again”), Lithuanian at- (“back”), Old Church Slavonic отъ (otŭ, “from”) and Gothic 𐌰𐌸𐌸𐌰𐌽 (aþþan, “but”).^[2][3][4] De Vaan notes that it is not fully clear which cognates belong to ⟨at⟩ and which to et.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Plautus on.^[2]

Semantic evolution

At marks a contrast between persons or things (“but, on the other hand”), a change of subject in narrative (“now, meanwhile”), and a contrast with what precedes.^[4][5] Alone or with enim it introduces an objection (“but, you will say”).^[4] At tamen “but yet” is often written as one word.^[4]

The form ast is also found.^[5][3]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – First found in Plautus.^[2]
• 204–169 BC – Ennius: at Rōmulus pulcher …, contrasting Romulus with Remus.^[4][6]

Meanings

Conjunction

1. but, however, on the other hand.^[4][5]
2. Whereas, meanwhile, now (changing the subject).^[4][1]
3. But, you will say (introducing an objection).^[4]
4. On the contrary, instead.^[7]

Word family

• atquī
• atavus
• atque
• ac
• attamen

Related words

• et
• sed
• autem

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
5. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson