baccalaureatus

Forms

baccalaureātus m (genitive baccalaureātūs); fourth declension^[1] Older spellings are bachelariatus, bacalariatus, baculariatus and bacchilaureatus.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is from Latin baccalaureus + -ātus, from baccalaureus “bachelor”.^[1] The older forms such as bachelariatus were formed on baccalārius,^[2][3] and baccalaureus itself is an alteration of baccalārius, a word of uncertain origin.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The DMLBS first records the word in 1311, in Oxford, as bachelariatus and bacalariatus, the status of bachelor beside that of master.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

It was the lowest academic degree of the medieval university, in arts, canon law or theology.^[5][2] An Oxford letter of 1435 describes it as a kind of half-degree below the mastership,^[2] and the spelling baccalaureatus appears by 1549.^[2] Humanists used it in the same sense, for example in a letter of 1497 in the correspondence of Celtis and in a letter of Luther of 1516.^[6] English borrowed it in the 1620s as baccalaureate.^[4]

Timeline

• 1311 – Oxford records speak of the status of bachelor (bachelariatus).^[2][3]
• 1435 – An Oxford letter calls it a half-degree below the mastership.^[2]
• 1497 – A letter in the correspondence of Celtis speaks of the degree (bacculariatus).^[6]
• 1549 – A Scottish church council writes baccalaureatus.^[2]
• 1620s – Borrowed into English as baccalaureate.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Medieval Latin) The degree or status of bachelor at a university, the lowest academic degree.^[1][2][5][6]

Related words

• baccalarius

Usage notes

Ramminger also records a second-declension baccalaureatus, one who has taken the bachelor's degree, from an inscription of 1624.^[6]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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
3. ^ a b c d 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. ^ a b Latinitatis medii aevi lexicon Bohemorum / Slovník středověké latiny v českých zemích (1977–), Prague: Academia; electronic version, Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences
6. ^ a b c d Ramminger, Johann, Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700, www.neulatein.de