Etymologically
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pietas

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈpi.ɛ.taːs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈpiː.e.tas][1]

Forms

pietās f (genitive pietātis); third declension[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin pius (“dutiful, pious”) + -tās.[2][1][3] Wiktionary reconstructs Proto-Italic *pwījotāts.[1] De Vaan derives pius from Proto-Italic *pwījo-, Proto-Indo-European *puH-io- (“purifying”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Ennius.[3] Plautus has pietāte factum est meā atque maiōrum meum, “it was done through my piety and my ancestors'”, of help from the gods, and pietās prohibet, “filial duty forbids it”.[2]

Semantic evolution

Pietās is the dutiful respect owed to those one is bound to by religion or blood: to the gods (Cicero: est enim pietās iūstitia adversus deōs, “piety is justice towards the gods”), to parents and children, to relatives, and of citizens to their country (pietās in rem pūblicam).[2][5][1] Wiktionary adds “gentleness, kindness, pity”.[1]

In Church Latin it is piety, godliness, goodness, mercy, and love and duty towards God.[6] In Medieval Latin it is also charity, alms, divine mercy, and pity.[7] English piety (mid-14th century) and its doublet pity (mid-13th century) both come from it through Old French.[8]

Timeline

  • 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it.[3]
  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: pietās prohibet.[2][3]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero: pietās in rem pūblicam.[2][3]
  • mid-13th century – English pity, through Old French.[8]
  • mid-14th century – English piety.[8]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Dutiful respect, sense of duty.[2][5][1]
  2. piety (towards the gods).[2][5][1][6]
  3. Dutifulness, affection (towards parents, children, relatives).[2][1]
  4. Loyalty, patriotism.[2][1]
  5. Kindness, pity, compassion.[1][7]
  6. (Ecclesiastical Latin) Godliness; mercy.[6]
  7. (Medieval Latin) Charity, alms.[7]

Word family

  • pietāticultrīx
  • piē
  • piō
  • pius
  • impietās
  • English piety
  • English pity

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e 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 c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  8. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com