cultura

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [kʊɫˈtuː.ra]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [kulˈtuː.ra]^[1]

Forms

cultūra f (genitive cultūrae); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin colō (“to till, cultivate”) + -tura.^[2][1] The verb is inherited from Proto-Italic *kʷele/o-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *kʷelh₁-e/o- (“to go round”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found in Cato (234–149 BC), who says that the rest of cultivation is hoeing much and weeding carefully.^[2][4]

Semantic evolution

Its first sense was the tilling of land, often in the phrase agri cultura, “agriculture”, as in Cato, Varro and Cicero, and the cultivation of vines and gardens.^[2][5] Cicero's “philosophy is the cultivation of the mind” gave it the sense of training or improving the faculties.^[2]

It also meant the upkeep of a monument, the cultivation of a powerful friend in Horace, and the observance of religious rites in Apuleius.^[2] In Medieval Latin it meant worship, veneration and religion.^[1][4] English culture was borrowed in the mid-15th century, first for tilling land.^[6]

Timeline

• 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of cultivating land.^[2][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses cultura animi, “cultivation of the mind”.^[2][4]
• 65–8 BC – Horace uses it of courting a powerful friend.^[2][4]
• c. 125–175 AD – Apuleius uses it of religious rites.^[2][4]
• mid-15th century – English culture is recorded.^[6]

Meanings

Noun

1. Tilling, cultivation (of land), agri cultura: agriculture.^[2][1]
2. Training, improvement (of the mind).^[2][1]
3. Care, upkeep (of a monument).^[2]
4. Cultivation (of a person's friendship).^[2]
5. Observance (of religious rites).^[2]
6. (Medieval Latin) Worship, veneration.^[1][4]

Word family

• agricultūra
• avicultūra

Related words

• agricola
• colō
• colōna
• colōnārius
• colōnātus
• colōnia
• colōniārius
• colōnicus
• colōnus
• culta
• English culture

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h 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. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c d e f g 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. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com