Etymologically

nitiditas

Etymology and origin of the Latin word nitiditas

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Accius
Ultimate origin
Latin (niteō)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin nitidus
Latin nitiditas

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [nɪˈtɪ.dɪ.taːs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [niˈtiː.di.tas][1]

Forms

nitiditās f (genitive nitiditātis); third declension[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin nitidus (“shining, sleek”) + -tās, from niteō (“to shine”).[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is known only from a line of Accius quoted by Nonius, nitiditās fōrmae “beauty of form”.[4][5][3] Köbler dates Accius 170–c. 90 BC.[3]

Semantic evolution

The OLD renders it elegance, neatness, and Lewis & Short and Gaffiot splendour, beauty.[2][4][5]

Timeline

  • 170–c. 90 BC – Accius uses it.[4][3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Elegance, splendour, beauty.[2][4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
Cite this entry

“Nitiditas.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/nitiditas. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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