Etymologically
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litteratus

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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

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