Etymologically
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moderor

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈmɔ.dɛ.rɔr][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈmɔː.de.ror][1]

Forms

moderor (present infinitive moderārī or moderārier, perfect active moderātus sum); first conjugation, deponent[1]

Etymology

It is built on the same lost neuter ⟨s⟩-stem as modestus, from Proto-Indo-European *med- (“to measure”), not directly on modus.[1][2][3] An active ⟨moderō⟩ is also found, and Lucretius has ⟨moderārier⟩.[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus, of governing, restraining and tempering.[3] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to direct, guide, as a ship or chariot, and to handle, control, as in Cicero and Ovid.[3] From Plautus it meant to govern, rule, and of things to be the controlling factor.[3] It meant to restrain, check, and to make less violent, temper, moderate, as in Plautus.[3] It also meant to regulate, arrange, as in Pliny.[3] Lewis and Short give its basic sense as to set a measure, set bounds to a thing.[4]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to govern, guide, regulate, direct, advise.[6] Its participle moderātus gave English moderate in the late 14th century, first of weather.[7]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of governing and restraining.[3][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of guiding.[3][5]
  • late 14th century – English moderate is recorded.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To guide, direct; to control.[3]
  2. To govern, rule.[3]
  3. To restrain, check.[3]
  4. To temper, moderate.[3]
  5. To regulate, arrange.[3]

Word family

  • moderābilis
  • moderāmen
  • moderāmentum
  • moderanter
  • moderātē
  • moderātim
  • moderātiō
  • moderātor
  • moderātus

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com