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decurio

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word decurio

decurio1 divide into tens

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
81–43 BC, Cicero
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*déḱm̥)
Etymology tree of decurio1
inherited borrowed derived
Latin decuria
Latin decurio

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [dɛˈkʊ.ri.oː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [deˈkuː.ri.o][1]

Forms

decuriō (present infinitive decuriāre, perfect active decuriāvī, supine decuriātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

The verb “divide into tens” is from Latin decuria (“group of ten”) + -ō.[2][3][1] De Vaan derives decuria from ⟨*dek-ur-ia⟩, with a suffix from the word for “four”, and traces decem to Proto-Italic *dekm and Proto-Indo-European *déḱm̥ (“ten”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Cicero uses it of men enrolled street by street and formed into squads of ten.[2][5]

Semantic evolution

It means to form cavalry in squads of ten, as in Livy's conspirators organised in tens of horsemen and hundreds of foot, and to organise men in military fashion.[2] Lewis & Short note its use for dividing the people into clubs for bribery and corruption.[3] In inscriptions it means to enrol in a decuria.[2]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of men formed into squads.[2][5]
  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy of cavalry formed in tens.[2][5]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To form in squads of ten; to organise in military fashion.[2][3][1]
  2. To enrol in a decuria.[2]

decurio2 decurion

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
116–27 BC, Varro
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*déḱm̥)
Etymology tree of decurio2
inherited borrowed derived
Latin decuria
Latin decurio

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [dɛˈkʊ.ri.oː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [deˈkuː.ri.o][1]

Forms

decuriō m (genitive decuriōnis); third declension[1]

Etymology

The noun “decurion” is from Latin decuria (“group of ten”) + -ō.[2][1] Festus also records the forms ⟨decurēs⟩ and ⟨decuriōnus⟩ for it.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first source is Varro,[5] who uses it of the officer over a squad of ten horsemen.[2]

Semantic evolution

It is an officer in command of ten cavalrymen, and in Livy a naval officer of similar rank.[2] It is also a member of a town council, as in Cicero, and of the governing committee of a decuria or guild, as in Apuleius.[2] Suetonius uses it of a foreman of slaves, as the head of the chamberlains.[2] Church Latin glosses it “counsellor; captain of ten”.[6]

Timeline

  • 116–27 BC – Varro of a cavalry officer.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of town councillors.[2][5]
  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy of naval officers.[2][5]
  • c. 75–c. 150 AD – Suetonius of a foreman of chamberlains.[2][5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A decurion, commander of ten cavalrymen; a naval officer of similar rank.[2][3][6][1]
  2. A town councillor; a member of the committee of a guild.[2][6]
  3. A foreman of slaves.[2][1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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 q r s t Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  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 d e f g h Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
Cite this entry

“Decurio.” Etymologically, 19 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/decurio. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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