Etymologically
Log in

iudicatio

Etymology and origin of the Latin word iudicatio

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Rhetorica ad Herennium
Ultimate origin
Latin (iūdicō)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin iudico
Latin iudicatio

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [juː.dɪˈkaː.ti.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ju.diˈkat.t͡si.o][1]

Forms

iūdicātiō f (genitive iūdicātiōnis); third declension[1] An inscription has ioudicātiō.[2]

Etymology

It is from Latin iūdicō (“to judge”) + -tiō, from iūdex “judge”, a compound of iūs “law” and dīcō.[2][1][3] De Vaan reconstructs ⟨iūs⟩ “law” as Proto-Italic ⟨*jowos⟩ with ⟨*jowes-dik-⟩ “judge”.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is the Rhetorica ad Herennium, of the point at issue.[2] Köbler dates it 86/82 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

In rhetoric it was the point at issue, the question for the judge to decide, as in the Rhetorica ad Herennium and Cicero; generally a judging, the forming of an opinion, appraisal; and in Ulpian the power of deciding a case at law.[2][6][7]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it means judgment, opinion.[8] Medieval Latin used it for a sentence and a judicial district.[9] English judication (1620s) is from it.[3]

Timeline

  • 86/82 BC – The Rhetorica ad Herennium uses it.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of judging.[2][5]
  • before 223 AD – Ulpian uses it of jurisdiction.[2][5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. The power of deciding a case.[2]
  2. (rhetoric) The point at issue.[2]
  3. A judging, judgement, appraisal.[2][8]
  4. (Medieval Latin) A sentence; a judicial district.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  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. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  8. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  9. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
Cite this entry

“Iudicatio.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/iudicatio. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·