Etymologically
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gratitudo

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Forms

grātitūdō f (genitive grātitūdinis); third declension[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin grātus (“pleasing, thankful”) + -tūdō.[1][2][3] Its base goes back to Proto-Italic *gʷrātos and Proto-Indo-European *gʷerH-.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLL records it, with a question mark, in a Latin version of the Acts of Polycarp, which Köbler dates doubtfully to the 2nd century AD.[2][3] It is otherwise a medieval word for thankfulness.[4][5][6]

Semantic evolution

Medieval Latin used it both for thankfulness and for goodwill or favour shown to someone.[4][5][7] Ecclesiastical Latin has it for gratitude and thanks.[8] The humanists wrote it in their letters: Petrarch speaks of having nothing to give in return for a gift but bare gratitude.[9]

English took it over in the 15th century as gratitude, first in the sense “goodwill”; the sense “thankfulness” is recorded from the 1560s.[6]

Timeline

  • 2nd century AD (?) – A Latin version of the Acts of Polycarp has it, in a doubtful record of the TLL.[2][3]
  • 1206 – A Hungarian charter speaks of repaying merits with gratitude.[7]
  • 1243 – A letter of the emperor Frederick II uses it.[10]
  • 1390 – Coluccio Salutati uses it in a letter.[9]
  • mid-15th century – English borrows it as gratitude “goodwill”.[6]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (Medieval Latin) Gratitude, thankfulness.[4][5][8][9]
  2. (Medieval Latin) Goodwill, favour, kindness.[4][5][7]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  3. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ a b c d Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  5. ^ a b c d Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  6. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  7. ^ a b c Bartal, Antal, et al. (1987–), Lexicon Latinitatis Medii Aevi Hungariae, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online ed. ELTE
  8. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  9. ^ a b c Ramminger, Johann, Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700, www.neulatein.de
  10. ^ 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