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gradalis

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word gradalis

gradalis1 step by step; gradual

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
2nd half of the 4th century AD, Diomedes
Ultimate origin
Latin gradus
Etymology tree of gradalis1
inherited borrowed derived
Latin gradus
Italian grado
German Grad
Latin gradalis
From the same root · gradalis1
Latin gradatim ← gradus
Latin graduatio ← gradus

Forms

gradālis (neuter gradāle); third-declension adjective[1][2] Medieval texts also spell it graduālis.[3][4]

Etymology

The adjective is from Latin gradus (“step”) + -ālis.[5][2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The grammarian Diomedes, in the second half of the 4th century AD, speaks of a gradalis pugna, a fight in which the soldiers advance step by step, foot after foot; he says it was introduced by Daunius, leader of the Apulians, and that an iambic song was named after it.[5][1][3]

Semantic evolution

In Christian Latin the neuter gradāle (later also graduāle) named the responsory of the Mass, sung at the steps of the altar, and then the book of chants for the Mass.[5][6][7] Medieval writers also used the adjective for what has steps or rises like steps, for the daytime canonical hours, and in Britain for a shelf mark and a composite number.[7][6][4] English gradual comes from the Medieval Latin form graduālis.[8]

Timeline

  • 2nd half of the 4th century AD – Diomedes speaks of a gradalis pugna.[5][3]
  • mid-9th century – Aurelian of Réôme uses it of chant sung at the altar steps.[3]
  • c. 1215 – An English liturgical text speaks of the gradual verse.[4]
  • 1245 – An inventory of St Paul's describes a clasp rising in three steps.[4]
  • early 15th century – English gradual is recorded.[8]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Proceeding step by step.[1][2][9]
  2. (Medieval Latin) Having steps, rising like steps.[7][4]
  3. (Medieval Latin) Sung at the steps of the altar: gradual.[7][4]
  4. (Medieval Latin) Of the daytime hours of the office.[6][7]

Noun

  1. (Ecclesiastical Latin, neuter) The responsory of the Mass, the gradual.[5][6]
  2. (Medieval Latin, neuter) A book of the chants of the Mass, a gradual.[6][7]

gradalis2 dish

Confidence
Uncertain
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1263
Ultimate origin
Latin crātēr
Etymology tree of gradalis2
inherited borrowed derived
Ancient Greek κρατήρ
Latin crater
Latin gradalis
Latin cratera
From the same root · gradalis2
English grail ← κρατήρ

Etymology

The dish is perhaps from Latin crātēr (“mixing bowl”),[3][8] itself from Ancient Greek κρατήρ (kratḗr, “bowl for mixing wine with water”);[8] Köbler, following Kluge, and Etymonline call its origin unclear.[3][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

Du Cange cites a charter of 1263 that lists thirty gradales with a hundred dishes among the vessels of the table and kitchen.[10]

Semantic evolution

Etymonline gives it as a flat dish or shallow vessel, also spelled gradale and grasale.[8] It is the source of Old French graal and Middle High German grāl, the Grail,[3] and English took grail from Old French about 1300.[8]

Timeline

  • 1263 – A charter lists thirty gradales among kitchen vessels.[10]
  • c. 1300 – English grail is recorded, from Old French graal.[8]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (Medieval Latin) A dish, a flat or shallow vessel.[3][10][8]

References

  1. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  2. ^ a b c Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ 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
  5. ^ a b c d e Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  6. ^ a b c d e Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  7. ^ a b c d e f Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  9. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  10. ^ a b c du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre

Descendants

Cite this entry

“Gradalis.” Etymologically, 24 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/gradalis. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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