litteratus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [lɪt.tɛˈraː.tʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [lit.teˈraː.tus]^[1]

Forms

litterātus (feminine litterāta, neuter litterātum, comparative litterātior, superlative litterātissimus, adverb litterātē); first/second-declension adjective^[1] Also spelled līterātus; comparative litterātior, superlative litterātissimus.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is from Latin littera (“letter”) + -ātus.^[3][1] Etymonline notes that in the sense “learned” it imitated Ancient Greek γραμματικός (grammatikós).^[4] De Vaan finds no convincing etymology for ⟨littera⟩.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is Plautus, of a little sword inscribed with letters.^[3][2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[6]

Semantic evolution

Its first sense was marked with letters, inscribed, and of slaves branded, as in Plautus and Apuleius; from Cicero it meant well versed in letters, learned, cultured, and as a noun a man of culture or a grammarian.^[3][7]

Medieval Latin used vir litterātus for a cleric, and also bearing an inscription.^[6][8] English literate (early 15th century) is from it, and German Literat is from it.^[4][6]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of an inscribed sword.^[3][6]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of the learned.^[3][6]
• early 15th century – English literate is recorded.^[4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Marked with letters, inscribed; branded.^[3][2]
2. Learned, cultured, literate.^[3]
3. (noun) A man of letters; a grammarian.^[3]
4. (Medieval Latin) A cleric.^[6]

Word family

• illitterātus
• litteratulus
• perlitteratus

Related words

• littera
• litterātūra
• English literate

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
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 f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
8. ^ Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill