maturitas

Forms

mātūritās f (genitive mātūritātis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin mātūrus (“ripe, timely”) + -tās.^[2][1] De Vaan derives ⟨mātūrus⟩ from a noun ⟨*mātu-⟩ “ripeness, early moment”, Proto-Indo-European *meh₂-tu- (“ripeness”), probably from the root of mānus “good”.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are Cicero, of ripeness.^[2] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant ripeness of fruit and crops, as in Cicero and Caesar; full size or strength, maturity; maturity of judgement; the right time, the opportune moment, all in Cicero; and in Suetonius speed in carrying out a task.^[2][5]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it means fullness, ripeness, perfection.^[6] Medieval Latin used it for midnight, after Psalm 119.^[7] English maturity (early 15th century) is from it.^[8]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it.^[2][4]
• c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of crops.^[5][4]
• c. 75–c. 150 AD – Suetonius uses it of dispatch.^[2][4]
• early 15th century – English maturity is recorded.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. Ripeness.^[2][9]
2. Maturity, full growth; maturity of judgement.^[2]
3. The right time.^[2]
4. Dispatch, promptness.^[2]
5. (Medieval Latin) Midnight.^[7]

Related words

• mātūrus
• mātūrō
• mātūtīnus
• English maturity

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
9. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press