Etymologically
Log in

laudatio

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 19 October 2026 at 01:18. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ɫau̯ˈdaː.ti.oː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [lau̯ˈdat.t͡si.o][1]

Forms

laudātiō f (genitive laudātiōnis); third declension[1]

Etymology

It is formed from laudō (“to praise”) with the suffix -tiō.[2][3][1] The verb comes from laus (“praise”), which de Vaan derives from Proto-Italic *lauVd-; the only proposed link is with a Germanic word for “song”, as Gothic 𐌰𐍅𐌹𐌻𐌹𐌿𐌸 (awiliuþ, “song of praise”) and Old English lēoþ (“song”), which is uncertain.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler gives Cicero as its first author,[5] who says that to credit someone's good fortune to the judgement of the gods is a matter of praise.[2]

Semantic evolution

It is the act of praising or commendation, and a speech or writing in praise, a eulogy or panegyric, as Cicero's Greeks who wrote eulogies to please readers or honour someone.[2][6] In particular it is the funeral eulogy, as Cicero's “some eulogies of the dead”, and a testimonial to an accused man's character in court, as the Mamertines' testimonial for Verres.[2][6]

Church Latin glosses it “praise, commendation, testimony”.[7] In medieval Latin it is approval, the consent of kinsmen or of a lord to the sale of land, the fee paid for that consent, a cession, a grant, a confirmation and a judgement.[8] English laudation comes from it, from the early 15th century.[9]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of praise, eulogies and testimonials.[2][5]
  • 1108 – recorded in a charter.[5]
  • early 15th century – English laudation.[9]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Praise, commendation.[2][6][1][7]
  2. A eulogy, panegyric; a funeral eulogy.[2][6][1]
  3. A character testimonial (in court).[2]
  4. (Medieval Latin) Consent of kin or lord to the sale of land; the fee for it; a grant, confirmation.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  8. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com