Etymologically
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diarium

Etymology and origin of the Latin word diarium

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Sempronius Asellio
Ultimate origin
Latin (diēs)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin diarium
English diary

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [diˈaː.ri.ũː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [diˈaː.ri.um][1]

Forms

diārium n (genitive diāriī or diārī); second declension[1]

Etymology

It is from diēs “day” with the suffix -ārium.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Gaffiot and the OLD cite Sempronius Asellio, quoted by Gellius, on those who write a diārium, what the Greeks call ephēmeris.[4][2]

Semantic evolution

It meant a diary, journal, as in Asellio, and in the plural the daily ration of food or pay for slaves, prisoners or soldiers, as in Cicero and Horace.[2][5]

In Medieval Latin it meant a day's provisions.[6] British Medieval Latin glossaries render it as a daily allowance, Old English dægwine.[7] It gave English diary in the 1580s, “an account of daily events”.[3] It survives in Italian diario and Spanish diario.[1]

Timeline

  • late 2nd century BC – Sempronius Asellio uses it of a journal.[4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses the plural of rations.[5][8]
  • 1580s – English diary is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A diary, journal.[2]
  2. (plural) A daily ration or allowance.[2]

Word family

  • interdiarius

References

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

Borrowed into

Cite this entry

“Diarium.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/diarium. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·