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cursus

Etymology and origin of the Latin word cursus

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*ḱers-)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin curro
Latin cursus
English corsair

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈkʊr.sʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈkur.sus][1]

Forms

cursus m (genitive cursūs); fourth declension[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin currō (“to run”) + -tus, an action noun.[2][1] Currō is *korse/o- (“to run”), from Proto-Indo-European *krs-e/o- (“to run”).[3] De Vaan says the participle cursus replaced an older *kostus, and the nouns in curs- were built on it.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus has young men exercising “by running, wrestling and the spear”.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant running, a charge in battle, onward motion, speed, and a journey or voyage, as Cicero's sea voyages cut off by winter.[2] It meant a path or course, the orbit of a heavenly body, the direction taken, and progress or development.[2]

It meant a person's career, especially towards higher office, as in Cicero, and a series or run, as the rhythm of words.[2] Isidore derived it from the speed of the legs (crura).[5] In medieval Latin it meant a raid, a watercourse, the currency of a coin and the order of the liturgical office.[6] In music theory it meant the progression of a melody.[7] English course came from it through Old French around 1300.[8]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of running.[2][4]
  • 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of great speed.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of voyages and of careers.[2][4]
  • c. 560–636 AD – Isidore explains it.[5][4]
  • c. 1300 – English course is recorded.[8]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Running; a race.[2][1]
  2. (military) A charge.[2]
  3. Onward motion; speed.[2]
  4. A journey, voyage.[2][1]
  5. A course, path; an orbit.[2][1]
  6. Direction; progress, development.[2][1]
  7. A career.[2][1]
  8. A series, succession.[2]
  9. (Medieval Latin) A raid; a watercourse; the currency of coin; the order of the office.[6]

Word family

  • cursuālis
  • cursārius
  • currāx
  • curriculum
  • currīlis
  • currō
  • currūlis
  • currus
  • cursātiō
  • cursilitās
  • cursim
  • cursiō
  • English course
  • English cursus

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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. ^ a b 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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b Isidore of Seville, Etymologiarum sive Originum libri XX, ed. W. M. Lindsay (Oxford, 1911).
  6. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  7. ^ Lexicon musicum Latinum medii aevi (1992–), Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften; online ed. Wörterbuchnetz
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com

Descendants

Cite this entry

“Cursus.” Etymologically, 15 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/cursus. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·