Etymologically
Log in

crudelitas

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 17:49. This address is a permanent link to this version.
← Previous version Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [kruːˈdeː.lɪ.taːs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [kruˈdɛː.li.tas][1]

Forms

crūdēlitās f (genitive crūdēlitātis); third declension[1]

Etymology

It is from crūdēlis “cruel” with the suffix -tās.[2][1][3] ⟨Crūdēlis⟩ is from crūdus “raw, bloody”, which de Vaan traces, with some doubt, to Proto-Italic ⟨*krowoþo-⟩, from the root of cruor “blood”.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Accius, of cruel people.[2] Köbler dates Accius 170–c. 90 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant cruelty, savagery, inhumanity, of people and, in Cicero, of actions, and an instance of cruelty.[2] Lewis & Short note that it is frequent in good prose, and Cicero defines it as atrōcitās animī.[6]

Aldhelm and other British Medieval Latin writers used it for cruelty and, in the plural, cruel acts.[7] It survives in Italian crudeltà and Spanish crueldad, and through Old French crualté it gave English cruelty about 1200.[1][3]

Timeline

  • 170–c. 90 BC – Accius uses it.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of actions.[2][5]
  • c. 1200 – English cruelty is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Cruelty, savagery; a cruel act.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ 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