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gratulor

Etymology and origin of the Latin word gratulor

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Confidence
Uncertain
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*gʷerH-)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈɡraː.tʊ.ɫɔr][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈɡraː.tu.lor][1]

Forms

grātulor (present infinitive grātulārī, perfect active grātulātus sum); first conjugation, deponent[1]

Etymology

Its formation is disputed.[1] The OLD and TLL derive it from ⟨*grāti-tulos⟩, from grātēs “thanks” with a suffix as in opitulor.[2][3] Wiktionary also gives a derivation from ⟨*grātulus⟩, a diminutive of grātus “pleasing”, and compares grātor.[1] De Vaan traces ⟨grātus⟩ to Proto-Indo-European *gʷr̥H-to- (“praised (in song)”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are Ennius, of thanking the gods, and Plautus, of congratulating.[2] Köbler dates Ennius 204–169 BC and Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to give thanks to the gods, as in Ennius; to wish someone joy, congratulate, as in Plautus and Cicero; and, without a dative, to be glad, rejoice, as in Quintilian.[2][6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it means to exult, rejoice.[7] English gratulate (1550s) is from its participle grātulātus.[8]

Timeline

  • 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of thanking the gods.[2][5]
  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of congratulating.[2][5]
  • c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses it of rejoicing.[2][5]
  • 1550s – English gratulate is recorded.[8]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To give thanks (to the gods).[2]
  2. To congratulate, wish joy.[2][6]
  3. To rejoice, be glad.[2][7]

Word family

  • congrātulor
  • grātulābundus
  • grātulātiō
  • grātulātor
  • adgrātulor
  • grātulātōrius

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. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Gratulor.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/gratulor. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·