peditatus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [pɛ.dɪˈtaː.tʊs], [pɛ.dɪˈtaː.tuːs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [pe.diˈtaː.tus], [pe.diˈtaː.tus]^[1]

Forms

peditātus m (genitive peditātūs); fourth declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin pedes (“foot soldier”) + -ātus, from pēs “foot”.^[2][1][3] De Vaan traces ⟨pēs⟩ to Proto-Italic *pōd- (“foot”), Proto-Indo-European *pṓds (“foot”), cognate with Umbrian ⟨peři⟩ “foot”.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's earliest source is Cato.^[3] Köbler dates Cato 234–149 BC.^[3]

Semantic evolution

As a noun it meant foot soldiers, infantry, the opposite of equitātus “cavalry”, as in Cicero and Caesar, and the Bellum Hispaniense has the plural.^[2][5][6] An adjective peditātus “composed of infantry” occurs in Hyginus and inscriptions.^[2][6]

British Medieval Latin used it for infantry.^[7]

Timeline

• 234–149 BC – Cato uses it.^[3]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it.^[6][3]
• c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it.^[6][3]

Meanings

Noun

1. Infantry, foot soldiers.^[2][5]

Adjective

1. Composed of infantry.^[2]

Related words

• pedes
• pēs
• equitātus
• English pedestrian

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c d Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press