Etymologically
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mature

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [maːˈtuː.rɛ], [maːˈtuː.reː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [maˈtuː.re], [maˈtuː.re][1]

Forms

mātūrē (comparative mātūrius, superlative mātūrissimē)[1]

Etymology

It is formed from mātūrus (“ripe, timely”) with the adverbial suffix -ē.[2][3] De Vaan derives ⟨mātūrus⟩ from a noun Proto-Italic *mātu- (“ripeness”), from Proto-Indo-European *meh₂-tu- (“ripeness”), the root also seen in mānus (“good”) and in mātūtīnus (“of the early morning”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler gives Plautus as its first author,[3] who has the saying that whoever makes money quickly will go hungry quickly unless he saves it quickly.[2]

Semantic evolution

It is first “quickly”, so as to anticipate the expected course of events, as in Plautus, and “in good time”, as Cato's “see that you finish all your work in good time”.[2] It is “early”, as Cicero's man who rose much earlier than ever before, and “at an early age”, as Terence's young man learning early the ways of courtesans.[2] In Pliny the Younger it is “with mature judgement”.[2]

The superlative is both mātūrrimē (Cato, Cicero, Caesar, Sallust, Tacitus) and mātūrissimē.[2]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of “quickly”.[2][3]
  • 234–149 BC – Cato of “in good time”.[2][3]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence of “at an early age”.[2][3]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of “early”.[2][3]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. Quickly, speedily; in good time.[2][1]
  2. Early; at an early age.[2][1]
  3. With mature judgement.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill