Etymologically
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decuria

Etymology and origin of the Latin word decuria

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Confidence
Probable
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Latin (decem)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [dɛˈkʊ.ri.a][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [deˈkuː.ri.a][1]

Forms

decuria f (genitive decuriae); first declension[1]

Etymology

The OLD derives it from *decu-viria, from decem “ten” and vir “man”, like cūria from *co-viria.[2] Lewis and Short and Gaffiot derive it simply from decem, on the model of centuria from centum.[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citation is Plautus, of a group of ten men.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant a group of ten men, a gang or party, and in early Roman government a group of ten families, as in Livy.[2] It meant one of the panels from which senators or, after 70 BC, jurymen were chosen, as in Cicero, and a guild of public officials or others of the same trade.[2][4] In Varro it meant a group of ten numbers and a measure of ten feet.[2]

In Medieval Latin it meant a section of an Italian city, and in England a tithing, a frankpledge group.[6][7] Old Norse borrowed it as dekur, a set of ten.[5]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of a group of ten.[2][5]
  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of ten numbers.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of jury panels.[2][5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A group of ten men; a group of ten families.[2]
  2. A panel of senators or jurymen.[2]
  3. A guild, corporation.[2]
  4. A set of ten numbers; a measure of ten feet.[2]
  5. (Medieval Latin) A city section; a tithing.[6][7]

Word family

  • decuriālis
  • decuriō
  • dacra
  • decuriātim
  • decuriātiō
  • decuriātus
  • decuriōnātus
  • decem
  • centuria
  • cūria

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  7. ^ a b 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
Cite this entry

“Decuria.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/decuria. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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