dictata

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [dɪkˈtaː.ta]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [dikˈtaː.ta]^[1]

Forms

dictāta n pl (genitive dictātōrum); second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is the neuter plural of dictātus, the participle of dictō “to say repeatedly, dictate”, used as a noun.^[2][1] ⟨dictō⟩ is a frequentative of dīcō (“to say”), which de Vaan traces to Proto-Italic *deik-e/o- (“to say”), from Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ-e/o-.^[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Gaffiot cites Cicero's Tusculan Disputations.^[5] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.^[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant dictated lessons or exercises, a text a teacher dictated to pupils, as in Cicero and Horace, and Gaffiot also gives rules, instructions.^[2][7][5]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it.^[5][6]

Meanings

Noun

1. Dictated lessons or exercises.^[2]
2. Rules, instructions.^[5]

Related words

• dictō
• dīcō
• dictātiō

References

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