Etymologically
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nitiditas

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 17 October 2026 at 00:17. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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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.