imperatum

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ɪm.pɛˈraː.tũː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [im.peˈraː.tum]^[1]

Forms

imperātum n (genitive imperātī); second declension^[1] Also spelled inperātum.^[2]

Etymology

It is the neuter of imperātus, the perfect passive participle of imperō “to command”, used as a noun; ⟨imperō⟩ is from in- and parō (“to prepare”).^[2][1] De Vaan traces ⟨parō⟩ to Proto-Italic *parāje/o-, usually explained as a denominal verb from ⟨*paro-⟩ “providing”.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its earliest source is Caesar, who has imperātum facere and imperāta facere “to carry out orders”.^[4][5] Köbler dates Caesar c. 50 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant a command, instruction, usually in the plural, as in Caesar's imperāta facere.^[2][5]

Timeline

• c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it.^[5][4]

Meanings

Noun

1. A command, instruction, (plural) orders.^[2]

Related words

• imperō
• imperium
• parō

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.