pictura

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [pɪkˈtuː.ra]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [pikˈtuː.ra]^[1]

Forms

pictūra f (genitive pictūrae); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin pingō (“to paint”) + -tura.^[2][1][3] The verb is inherited from Proto-Italic *ping-e/o-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *pi-n-ḱ- (“to paint, adorn”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Plautus onwards,^[3][4] who uses it of painting the face: “do you want to touch up a lovely work with new paint?”.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

It meant the action or art of painting, as Cicero's “there is one art and method of painting”, and a painting or picture, as in Terence.^[2][5] The Rhetorica ad Herennium says a poem should be a speaking picture and a picture a silent poem.^[2]

It was also used of coloured embroidery, natural colouring or markings, as Pliny's markings of gems, peacocks and tigers, and of a mental image, as Virgil's Aeneas feeding his mind on an empty picture.^[2] English picture was borrowed in the early 15th century, first for the art of painting.^[6]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of face paint.^[2][4]
• 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of a painting.^[2][4]
• 86/82 BC – The Rhetorica ad Herennium calls painting a silent poem.^[2][4]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of a mental image.^[2][4]
• early 15th century – English picture is recorded.^[6]

Meanings

Noun

1. The action or art of painting.^[2][1]
2. A painting, picture.^[2][1]
3. Embroidery, appliqué work.^[2]
4. Natural colouring, markings.^[2]
5. A mental image.^[2]

Word family

• pictūrātus

Related words

• pingo
• English picture

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 k l m n Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com