Etymologically
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maturus

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [maːˈtuː.rʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [maˈtuː.rus][1]

Forms

mātūrus (feminine mātūra, neuter mātūrum, comparative mātūrior, superlative mātūrissimus); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from Proto-Italic *mātu- (“ripeness, right moment”), Proto-Indo-European *meh₂-tu- (“ripeness”), from Proto-Indo-European *meh₂- (“to ripen”), a noun also behind Mātūta, goddess of dawn, and mātūtīnus “of the morning”.[2][1] The root is probably that of mānus “good”.[2][3] The Oxford Latin Dictionary compares Old Irish maith (“good”) and Welsh mad (“good”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus uses it.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

In Classical Latin it was ripe, of fruit and crops, as Cato's seed and Cicero's ripe fruit, fully grown of people and animals, and fully developed.[3][5] It was mentally mature or experienced, ready for something, and advanced in age.[3] From “at the right moment” it meant timely, and then early or speedy.[3][6]

It survives as Italian maturo, French mûr, Spanish maduro and Portuguese maduro.[1] English mature comes from it, through the verb mātūrō.[7]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.[2][4]
  • 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of ripe seed.[3][4]
  • c. 1400 – English mature is recorded as a verb, from mātūrāre.[7]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Ripe.[3][8]
  2. Full-grown, adult.[3]
  3. Fully developed.[3]
  4. Mature, experienced.[3]
  5. Ready (for something).[3]
  6. Advanced in age.[3]
  7. Timely; early, speedy.[3]

Word family

  • immātūrus
  • maturefacio
  • mātūritās
  • mātūrō
  • permātūrus
  • praemātūrus
  • semimaturus
  • mātūrē

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ 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
  4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  8. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press