exploratorius

Forms

explōrātōrius (feminine explōrātōria, neuter explōrātōrium); first and second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin explōrātor (“scout, spy”) + -ius.^[1] The noun comes from explōrō (“to search out, investigate”), whose base plōrō (“to cry, weep”) has no etymology according to de Vaan;^[2] Walde–Hofmann and Ernout–Meillet thought the ancient explanation not unlikely, that the verb first meant scouting a hunting ground for game by shouting.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Suetonius, in his life of Caligula, uses it of coronae exploratoriae, crowns given as a reward to scouts.^[3][4]

Semantic evolution

It stayed a military word: Vegetius calls the spy-boats of a fleet scaphae exploratoriae.^[3] English took exploratory from it in the mid-15th century, for what was meant for scouting.^[5]

Timeline

• c. 75–c. 150 AD – Suetonius mentions crowns for scouts, coronae exploratoriae.^[3][4]
• c. 400 AD – Vegetius uses it of scouting boats.^[3][4]
• mid-15th century – English borrows it as exploratory.^[5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of or belonging to scouts, used for reconnaissance.^[1][3]

Related words

• English exploratory

References

1. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com