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convito

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word convito

Confidence
Probable
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1073–1085, Gregory VII
Ultimate origin
Latin invītō
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin invito
English invite
French invité
French inviter
Italian invitare
Latin convito
From the same root
Italian invitato ← invitare

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [kɔnˈwiː.toː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [koɱˈviː.to][1]

Forms

convītō (present infinitive convītāre, perfect active convītāvī, supine convītātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin invītō (“to invite”), influenced by the unrelated convīvium (“banquet”).[1] The MLW compares Old French convier and refers to von Wartburg's French etymological dictionary.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first source is the register of Pope Gregory VII, who asks his correspondent to invite Hugh, the abbot of Cluny, to the synod in the pope's name, pressing him earnestly.[2][3][4]

Semantic evolution

It was a medieval word for inviting and entertaining guests.[5][2][3] A Venetian chronicle tells how the doge and the Venetians entertained the emperor and his knights as befitted so great a prince,[2] a life of Saint Zenobius has him invited to preach in the cathedral of Florence,[3] and the diary of Burchard records that the noblest Roman ladies were invited on the pope's behalf.[3] The statutes of Marseille have the noun convītātiō, an invitation to a banquet.[3] A Polish source of 1531 writes that the margrave of Brandenburg had invited the writer to dinner.[6]

It lives on in Italian convitare, French convier, Spanish and Portuguese convidar and Sardinian combidare, and English borrowed convite.[1]

Timeline

  • 1073–1085 – Gregory VII asks for the abbot of Cluny to be invited to a synod.[2][3][4]
  • 1493 – Burchard's diary records ladies invited on the pope's behalf.[3]
  • 1531 – A Polish letter tells of an invitation to dinner.[6]

Meanings

Verb

  1. (Medieval Latin) To invite; to entertain as a guest.[5][2][3][6][1]

Usage notes

The Lexicon Bohemorum records a separate convito meaning “to avoid together”.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
  4. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  6. ^ a b c Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
  7. ^ 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
Cite this entry

“Convito.” Etymologically, 24 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/convito. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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