auctoritas

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [au̯kˈtoː.rɪ.taːs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [au̯kˈtɔː.ri.tas]^[1]

Forms

auctōritās f (genitive auctōritātis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from auctor “originator, guarantor” with the suffix -tās, and ⟨auctor⟩ is from augeō “to increase”.^[2][1][3][4] Lewis and Short reject the spellings ⟨autor-⟩ and ⟨author-⟩.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citation is the Twelve Tables, of the right of ownership, and Köbler dates them about 450 BC.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

In law it meant the right of ownership, title, as the Twelve Tables' ūsus auctōritās “usucapion”.^[2][6] It meant authorization, sanction, responsibility for an action, as in Plautus, an informal decree of the senate, a proposal or advice, and guidance.^[2] It meant the right to sanction, controlling influence, authority, of laws force, of magistrates command, as in Cicero, and leadership, influence.^[2] It meant authoritativeness of speech or style, weight, a weighty opinion, a precedent, prestige, personal ascendancy, as in Terence, and of things repute.^[2]

In Medieval Latin it meant a king's order or ordinance, a charter, a title, and accepted tradition.^[7][8] It survives in French autorité, Italian autorità and Spanish autoridad.^[1] Through Old French it is the source of English authority about 1200, first of an authoritative passage or book.^[4]

Timeline

• c. 450 BC – The Twelve Tables use it of ownership.^[2][3]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of responsibility.^[2][3]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of authority and influence.^[2][3]
• c. 1200 – English authority is recorded.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. (law) Title, ownership.^[2]
2. Authorization, sanction; responsibility.^[2]
3. A resolution of the senate; advice.^[2]
4. Authority, power, command.^[2]
5. Influence, leadership; prestige.^[2]
6. Weight, reliability; a precedent.^[2]
7. (Medieval Latin) A royal order; a charter.^[7]

Word family

• exauctoritas

Related words

• auctor
• augeō
• English authority

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ 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