grammaticus

Forms

grammaticus (feminine grammatica, neuter grammaticum); first/second-declension adjective^[1] An inscription has the Greek genitive grammaticēs.^[2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek γραμματικός (grammatikós, “of letters, grammatical”),^[2][3] from γράμμα (grámma, “letter”), from γράφω (gráphō, “to write”).^[3][1] The noun “grammarian” is the adjective used as a noun.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Rhetorica ad Herennium has ars grammatica, “the art of grammar”.^[4][3]

Semantic evolution

As an adjective it concerns grammar or grammarians: Quintilian calls one figure grammatical and another rhetorical, and Horace speaks of canvassing the tribes of the grammarians.^[4][2] As a noun it is an expert on language and literature, a scholar or grammarian.^[2] Cicero mocks the self-styled grammarian who speaks barbarously and calls grammarians the interpreters of the poets, and Seneca calls them guardians of the Latin language.^[4] Suetonius says the name came in from Greek usage, the earlier Latin word being litterātus, and that the old grammarians also taught rhetoric.^[4] It was also a teacher of grammar, a schoolmaster.^[1] In Medieval Latin the adjective meant Latin or literary.^[5]

Timeline

• 86/82 BC – the Rhetorica ad Herennium of the art of grammar.^[4][3]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero of grammarians as interpreters of poets.^[4][3]
• 65–8 BC – Horace of the tribes of grammarians.^[4][3]
• c. 75–c. 150 AD – Suetonius on the history of the name.^[4][3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of or concerning grammar or grammarians; ars grammatica, grammar.^[2][4][1]
2. (Medieval Latin) Latin; literary.^[5]

Noun

1. An expert on language and literature, a scholar, grammarian, philologist.^[2][4][1]
2. A teacher of grammar, a schoolmaster.^[1]

Related words

• grammatica
• grammaticomastix
• grammatista
• grammatodidascalus

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill