orator

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [oːˈraː.tɔr]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [oˈraː.tor]^[1]

Forms

ōrātor m (genitive ōrātōris, feminine ōrātrīx); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin ōrō (“to plead, speak”) + -tor.^[2][1] De Vaan derives ōrō from ōs (“mouth”) and says its first meaning was “to plead, speak openly”.^[3] Varro says the orator was named from the speech (ōrātiō) he made before those to whom he was sent.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Ennius has “the envoy returns without peace”.^[2] Köbler's first source is Naevius (c. 235–200 BC).^[5]

Semantic evolution

It first meant an envoy or spokesman, one sent with a spoken message, as in Ennius, Plautus and Terence.^[2][6] It then meant a public speaker, orator or advocate, as Ennius' “the good speaker is scorned, the rough soldier loved”.^[2] The OLD quotes the definition “an orator, Marcus my son, is a good man skilled in speaking”, which Isidore repeats.^[2][7]

Cicero's work Orator bears the name, and Lactantius calls Cicero simply “the orator”.^[6] In medieval Latin it meant one who prays for another and a pilgrim.^[8][5] English orator was borrowed in the late 14th century.^[9]

Timeline

• c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it.^[5]
• 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of an envoy and of a speaker.^[2][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero writes the Orator.^[6][5]
• late 14th century – English orator is borrowed.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. An envoy, ambassador, spokesman.^[2][1]
2. A public speaker, orator, advocate.^[2][1]
3. (Medieval Latin) One who prays for another; a pilgrim.^[8]

Word family

• ōrātōrius

Related words

• oro
• English orator

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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ Marcus Terentius Varro, De lingua Latina (text of The Latin Library; book and paragraph numbers as there).
5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ Isidore of Seville, Etymologiarum sive Originum libri XX, ed. W. M. Lindsay (Oxford, 1911).
8. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com