litteralis

Forms

litterālis (neuter litterāle, adverb litterāliter); third-declension two-termination adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin littera (“letter of the alphabet”) + -ālis.^[2][3][4] De Vaan finds the older explanation of littera from the root of linō (“to smear”) morphologically unconvincing.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The grammarian Diomedes uses it of the articulate voice, vox articulata et litteralis vel scriptilis appellatur, quia litteris comprehendi potest (“it is called articulate, literal or writable, because it can be caught in letters”), meaning “of letters”.^[3][2]

Semantic evolution

Diomedes also says grammar is called litteralis because it begins with letters.^[3] Symmachus uses it of letters in the sense of correspondence, and Caelius Aurelianus has litteralis lectio for reading books.^[3][6]

Medieval Latin used it for what is written down, as in charters from about 1000 on, for what is learned or literary, and for the literal sense of a text as opposed to the allegorical one.^[7][8][9] Thomas Aquinas speaks of the sensus litteralis.^[10] English took literal in the late 14th century, first of Scripture taken in its natural meaning.^[11]

Timeline

• second half of the 4th century AD – Diomedes uses it of the voice that can be written in letters.^[3][4]
• c. 340–402 AD – Symmachus uses it of letter-writing.^[3][4]
• 6th century AD – Priscian uses it for “made of letters”.^[6][4]
• 992/1015 – A cartulary charter uses it for a written testament.^[8]
• late 14th century – Borrowed into English as literal.^[11]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of letters of the alphabet; made of letters.^[3][6][2]
2. Of letters, epistolary.^[3][6]
3. Of books: litteralis lectio, the reading of books.^[3][6]
4. (Medieval Latin) Written, set down in writing.^[7][8][12]
5. (Medieval Latin) Learned, literary.^[7][13]
6. (Medieval Latin) Literal, word for word, as opposed to allegorical.^[7][10][14]

Related words

• littera
• litterārius
• English literal

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
6. ^ a b c d e Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ a b c d Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ a b c Novum Glossarium Mediae Latinitatis ab anno DCCC usque ad annum MCC (1957–), Copenhagen / Geneva / Paris: Union Académique Internationale; IRHT
9. ^ 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
10. ^ a b Schütz, Ludwig (1895), Thomas-Lexikon, 2nd ed., Paderborn: F. Schöningh
11. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
12. ^ Bartal, Antal, et al. (1987–), Lexicon Latinitatis Medii Aevi Hungariae, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online ed. ELTE
13. ^ Latinitatis medii aevi lexicon Bohemorum / Slovník středověké latiny v českých zemích (1977–), Prague: Academia; electronic version, Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences
14. ^ Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl