Etymologically

diarium

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 17:54. This address is a permanent link to this version.

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