Etymologically

industrie

Etymology and origin of the Latin word industrie

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
234–149 BC, Cato
Ultimate origin
Latin industrius
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin industrius
Latin industrie

Forms

industriē (comparative industrius); adverb[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin industrius (“diligent, industrious”) + -ē.[1][2][3] Köbler also records a form ⟨industrē⟩.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It first appears in a speech of Cato the Elder,[3][4][2] meaning diligently or with zeal.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

In Classical Latin it means diligently, assiduously, with application.[1][5][2] Caesar pairs it with dīligenter,[2] and Quintilian uses it as well.[6][7] In a passage of Cicero's speech On his House the best manuscripts read illūstrius instead, according to Georges,[2] while Conte cites the passage for this adverb.[4]

The classical sense continued in medieval Latin: William of Malmesbury writes that Fulk did many things diligently and many things excellently.[8] In Poland and Hungary it also meant skilfully or ingeniously.[9][10]

Timeline

  • 234–149 BC – Cato uses it in a speech.[3][4]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar writes dīligenter industriēque.[2][3]
  • c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses it.[6][3]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. Diligently, assiduously, with zeal.[1][6][4]
  2. (Medieval Latin) Skilfully, ingeniously.[9][10]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  3. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ a b c d e Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  5. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ Simpson, D. P. (1959), Cassell's New Latin Dictionary, London: Cassell
  8. ^ 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
  9. ^ a b Bartal, Antal, et al. (1987–), Lexicon Latinitatis Medii Aevi Hungariae, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online ed. ELTE
  10. ^ a b Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
Cite this entry

“Industrie.” Etymologically, 21 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/industrie. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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