dictatus

Forms

dictātus m (genitive dictātūs); fourth declension^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin dictō (“to dictate”) + -tus³.^[1][2][3] dictō is itself formed from dīcō² (“to say”),^[4] which goes back to Proto-Italic *deik-e/o- (“to say”) and Proto-Indo-European *deiḱ-e/o- (“to show”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is a late word.^[2][5] Its first record is in Gennadius (end of the 5th century AD), who remembers once reading a work of a writer he lists, in the sense “something composed, a written work”.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Gregory the Great uses it of dictation, the act of speaking words for a scribe to write down.^[2][6] In the Middle Ages it meant dictating, what had been dictated (a written work, a treatise, a report) and the manner or style of writing.^[7][8] It could also mean an account or narrative, an instruction given to a notary, and the government or command of someone.^[8][5] Alcuin uses it of a literary work.^[5]

Timeline

• end of the 5th century AD – Gennadius uses it for a written work.^[2][3]
• 540–604 AD – Gregory the Great uses it of dictation.^[2][6][3]
• 800 – A notary in an Italian charter writes at the dictation of counts.^[8]
• c. 803 – Alcuin uses it of a literary work.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Late Latin) dictation, dictating.^[6][7]
2. (Late Latin) What has been dictated: a written work, treatise, report.^[2][7][5]
3. (Medieval Latin) style, manner of writing.^[7][8][9]
4. (Medieval Latin) An instruction, command, decision.^[8][5]
5. (Medieval Latin) An account, narrative.^[8]

Related words

• dictātiō
• dictātor

Usage notes

Gaffiot also lists dictātus, -a, -um as the past participle of dictō, “dictated”.^[6]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b 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 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
6. ^ a b c d Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ a b c d Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ a b c d e f Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
9. ^ Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl