geometres

Forms

geōmetrēs m (genitive geōmetrae); first declension^[1] A first-declension nominative geōmetra is found in an inscription, in Capitolinus and in later writers.^[2][3][4] Juvenal scans it with ⟨geo-⟩ as one syllable, Sidonius as two.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek γεωμέτρης (geōmétrēs, “land measurer, geometer”).^[2][5][6][1] The Greek word is a compound of γῆ (gê, “earth, land”) and the stem of μέτρον (métron, “measure”).^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler first records it in Cicero,^[6] who asks in the Academica how a geometer can discern things that either do not exist or cannot be told apart from what is false.^[7]

Semantic evolution

It names a geometer or geometrician, a student or teacher of geometry:^[2][8] Cicero writes that some devoted themselves wholly to the poets, others to the geometers, others to the musicians.^[8] Quintilian discusses the word and declines to render it with a Latin term, saying he would not do violence to such names by an unbecoming change into Latin.^[9] Georges notes it also for a teacher of geometry in Diocletian's price edict.^[3] From the Latin word come French géomètre, Italian geometra, Spanish geómetra,^[1] and the English word, recorded from the late 15th century.^[10]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it in the Academica and elsewhere.^[7][8][6]
• c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian declines to translate it into Latin.^[9][6]
• c. 67–c. 127 AD – Juvenal lists it among a string of trades.^[2][6]
• late 15th century – English borrows it as geometer.^[10]

Meanings

Noun

1. A geometer, geometrician.^[2][7]
2. A teacher of geometry.^[3][8]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
4. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
5. ^ Saalfeld, Günther Alexander (1874), Index Graecorum vocabulorum in linguam latinam translatorum, Berlin: Weidmann
6. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
8. ^ a b c d Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
9. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
10. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com