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comitatus

Etymology and origin of the Latin word comitatus

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Cicero
Ultimate origin
Latin (comes)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [kɔ.mɪˈtaː.tʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ko.miˈtaː.tus][1]

Forms

comitātus m (genitive comitātūs); fourth declension[1]

Etymology

It is from comitor “to accompany”, from comes “companion”, with the suffix of action nouns -tus.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Cicero, of an escort.[2] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant an escort, retinue, suite, as Cicero's magnō comitātū “with a large escort”, and a band of travellers, a caravan.[2][5] In Cicero it also meant the rank and file, and in Virgil a god's attendants or the court of an emperor or king.[2] In Cicero it meant figuratively a throng of qualities, companionship, and a company, crowd, and in Tacitus attendance on a great man.[2] In Pliny the Elder it meant combination, association.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant a company, escort, an imperial count.[6] Medieval Latin used it for the great men of the court and later for a count's jurisdiction, a county.[7][3] It survives in French comté and Spanish condado, and Late Latin comitātus “jurisdiction of a count” through Anglo-French counte gave English county in the mid-14th century; English comitatus came in 1875.[1][3]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of an escort.[2][4]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of a court.[2][4]
  • 98–115 AD – Tacitus uses it of attendance on a great man.[2][4]
  • mid-14th century – English county is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. An escort, retinue; a court.[2]
  2. A throng (of qualities).[2]
  3. Companionship; attendance.[2]
  4. A company, crowd.[2]
  5. Combination.[2]
  6. (Medieval Latin) A county.[7][3]

Word family

  • comitatensis

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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  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. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
Cite this entry

“Comitatus.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/comitatus. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·