Etymologically
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educatio

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 15 October 2026 at 21:07. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [eː.dʊˈkaː.ti.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [e.duˈkat.t͡si.o][1]

Forms

ēducātiō f (genitive ēducātiōnis); third declension[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin ēducō (“to bring up”) + -tiō.[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first source is the Rhetorica ad Herennium, dated 86/82 BC.[3] Cicero uses it of the upbringing of men.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant rearing, upbringing or nurture, of children in Cicero, Quintilian and Tacitus.[2][4] Quintilian criticises a soft upbringing and refers to precepts on the education of children.[5] It was also used of the rearing of animals and the growing of plants, in Cicero and Pliny.[6][4]

Medieval Latin kept the senses of upbringing and instruction, and used it of the hatching of eggs.[7][3] English education is recorded in the 1530s, first of child-rearing and the training of animals.[8]

Timeline

  • 86/82 BC – The Rhetorica ad Herennium uses it.[3]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of people and of animals.[4][3]
  • c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses it of the education of children.[5][3]
  • 1530s – English education is recorded.[8]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Rearing, upbringing, nurture.[2][1]
  2. education, training.[4][1]
  3. The rearing of animals; the growing of plants.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f 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. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com