Etymologically
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later

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈɫa.tɛr][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈlaː.ter][1]

Forms

later m (genitive lateris); third declension[1]

Etymology

Its origin is uncertain.[2][1] De Vaan suggests that if its first meaning was “piece, part”, it may be cognate with latus “side”, and the OLD compares latus and lāmina “plate”.[2][3] Lewis and Short connected Ancient Greek πλατύς (platús, “broad”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Plautus, whose character says it is no wonder old bricks fall from an old wall.[2][3] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant a brick or tile, laterēs dūcere “to make bricks”, and a block, bar or ingot of metal, as Plautus' heavy iron bar and Varro's gold ingots.[3] The proverb laterem lavāre, to wash a brick, meant to labour in vain, as in Terence.[6]

In Medieval Latin lutum et later, mud and brick, was a type of something worthless.[7]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus speaks of old bricks.[3][5]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses laterem lavāre.[6][5]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of bricks.[6][5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A brick, tile.[3]
  2. A block, bar, ingot (of metal).[3]

Word family

  • laterārius
  • laterculum
  • laterculus
  • latericius
  • laterina
  • sēmilater

Usage notes

The proverb laterem lavāre, “to wash a brick”, meant to waste one's effort.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b c d Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ 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