Etymologically
Log in

laboro

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 09:44. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ɫaˈboː.roː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [laˈbɔː.ro][1]

Forms

labōrō (present infinitive labōrāre, perfect active labōrāvī, supine labōrātum); first conjugation, third person-only in the passive[1]

Etymology

It is from labor “toil” with the verbal suffix -ō.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citations are from Plautus, of physical toil and of anxiety.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to perform physical work, toil, as Cicero's ploughmen who work for themselves, and to exert oneself, take pains, as in Terence's nē labōrā “don't trouble yourself”.[2][5][6] It meant to be under strain, of troops hard pressed in battle, as in Caesar, of ships in a storm, of the moon in eclipse, and of plants.[2] It meant to be in trouble, to suffer from a defect, to be ill, as in Cicero, and to be anxious, as in Plautus.[2] Transitively it meant to work at something, as in Virgil.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to labour, toil, be wearied.[7] It survives in Italian lavorare “to work” and French labourer “to plough”.[1] Through Old French laborer it is the source of English labour as a verb in the late 14th century, and English laboratory comes from Medieval Latin labōrātōrium.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of toil and anxiety.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of ploughmen and of illness.[2][6][4]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of troops hard pressed.[2][4]
  • late 14th century – English labour (verb) is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To work, toil, labour.[2]
  2. To exert oneself, take pains.[2]
  3. To be hard pressed; to be in distress.[2]
  4. To suffer (from); to be ill.[2]
  5. To be anxious.[2]
  6. (transitive) To work at.[2]

Word family

  • allabōrō
  • collabōrō
  • dēlabōrō
  • ēlabōrō
  • illabōrō
  • labōrātiō
  • labōrātor

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 j k l m n o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson