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delibero

Etymology and origin of the Latin word delibero

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Latin (lībra)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [deːˈliː.bɛ.roː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [deˈliː.be.ro][1]

Forms

dēlīberō (present infinitive dēlīberāre, perfect active dēlīberāvī, supine dēlīberātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from dē- and lībra “balance”, with the verb suffix -ō, “to weigh well”.[2][1][3] Paulus' Festus already derived it from ⟨lībella⟩, by which a thing is weighed.[4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus, of consulting with someone, and Terence, of deliberating.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant to think carefully, usually with others, weigh the pros and cons, as in Terence, in Plautus to take counsel with someone, and in Nepos to consult an oracle.[2] From Terence it meant to consider a matter, ponder, and in Cicero whether to do something.[2][7] In the perfect, as in Horace, it meant to have resolved on.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to consider, consult, deliberate.[8] A different Late Latin dēlīberāre “to set free”, from līberō, is found in Tertullian, and through Old French delivrer it gave English deliver.[7][3] It survives in Italian deliberare and French délibérer, and its participle gave English deliberate in the early 15th century.[1][3]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of taking counsel.[2][6]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of deliberating.[2][6]
  • 65–8 BC – Horace uses the perfect of a resolve.[2][6]
  • early 15th century – English deliberate is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To deliberate; to take counsel; to consult (an oracle).[2]
  2. To consider, ponder.[2]
  3. In the perfect, to have resolved.[2]

Word family

  • dēlīberābundus
  • dēlīberātiō
  • dēlīberātīvus
  • dēlīberātor
  • indeliberatus
  • dēlīberāmentum
  • lībra
  • English deliberate
  • English deliberation

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  7. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  8. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
Cite this entry

“Delibero.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/delibero. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·