Etymologically
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celebro

Etymology and origin of the Latin word celebro

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Accius
Ultimate origin
Latin (celeber)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈkɛ.ɫɛ.broː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈt͡ʃɛː.le.bro][1]

Forms

celebrō (present infinitive celebrāre, perfect active celebrāvī, supine celebrātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from celeber “crowded, frequented, famous” with the verb suffix -ō.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Accius, of celebrating a festival.[2] Köbler dates Accius 170–c. 90 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to throng, fill a place, as Cicero's house crowded with visitors, to attend in large numbers, crowd round a person, and in Ovid and Tibullus to frequent.[2][5][6] It meant to celebrate a festival, games, a feast or rites, as in Cicero, and to honour with ceremonies.[2] It meant to practise, perform, and in Ulpian to carry out duly.[2] From Cicero it meant to praise, extol, sing the praises of, to talk about, make known, and to confer distinction on.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to celebrate, perform, practise.[7] Its participle celebrātus gave English celebrate in the mid-15th century, first of performing the Mass.[8]

Timeline

  • 170–c. 90 BC – Accius uses it of a festival.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of thronging and of praising.[2][4]
  • 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid uses it of frequenting.[2][4]
  • mid-15th century – English celebrate is recorded.[8]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To throng, crowd; to attend in numbers.[2]
  2. To frequent.[2]
  3. To celebrate a festival, games or rites.[2]
  4. To honour.[2]
  5. To practise, perform.[2]
  6. To praise, extol.[2]
  7. To talk about; to make known.[2]

Word family

  • celebrabilis
  • celebrātiō
  • celebrātor
  • celebrēscō
  • concelebrō
  • incelebrātus
  • percelebrō
  • celebrātus

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Celebro.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/celebro. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·