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extraordinarius

Etymology and origin of the Latin word extraordinarius

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Varro
Ultimate origin
Latin (extrā,ōrdō)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin extraordinarius
English extraordinary

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ɛk.straː.oːr.dɪˈnaː.ri.ʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ek.stra.or.diˈnaː.ri.us][1]

Forms

extrāōrdinārius (feminine extrāōrdināria, neuter extrāōrdinārium); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from the phrase ⟨extrā ōrdinem⟩ “outside the order”, from extrā and ōrdō, with the suffix -ārius.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Varro, “supplementary”.[2] Köbler's first source is Cicero.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant supplementary, additional, as in Varro, and especially of specially selected troops, and Livy has cohortēs extrāōrdināriae, reserve or élite cohorts.[2][5] In Cicero it meant not governed by ordinary rules, special, irregular, and in Livy exceptional, immoderate.[2]

Medieval Latin applied it to extraordinary university lectures, held outside the regular hours.[6] British Medieval Latin used the plural for irregular payments.[7] It survives in Italian straordinario and Spanish extraordinario, and gave English extraordinary in the early 15th century.[1][3]

Timeline

  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of irregular things.[2][4]
  • early 15th century – English extraordinary is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Supplementary; picked (of troops).[2]
  2. Special, irregular.[2]
  3. Exceptional, extraordinary.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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 c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  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

Borrowed into

Cite this entry

“Extraordinarius.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/extraordinarius. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·