Etymologically
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neuter

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈne.ʊ.tɛr][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈnɛːu̯.ter][1]

Forms

neuter (feminine neutra, neuter neutrum); first/second-declension adjective (nominative masculine singular in -er, pronominal declension)[1]

Etymology

It is from ne- “not” and uter “which of two, either”.[2][1][3] In grammar it renders Ancient Greek οὐδέτερος (oudéteros, “neither”).[1] Varro has a genitive ⟨neutrī⟩, and grammarians use ⟨neutrī generis⟩.[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus, of neither person and of neither thing.[2] Köbler's first source is Cicero; he dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant neither of two, as Cicero's hōrum neuter “neither of these men”, as a noun neither man or party, and in neutrum noncommittally, as in Plautus.[2][5] From Varro it meant belonging to neither class, neutral, and in grammar neuter in gender.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant neither, neuter.[6] English neuter came in the late 14th century as a grammatical term, and its derivative neutrālis gave English neutral.[7] It was borrowed as Italian and Spanish neutro.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of neither.[2][4]
  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of the neuter gender.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses hōrum neuter.[5][4]
  • late 14th century – English neuter is recorded.[7]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Neither of two, in neutrum, noncommittally.[2]
  2. Of neither class, neutral.[2]
  3. (grammar) Neuter.[2]

Word family

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  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 Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com