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qualitas

Etymology and origin of the Latin word qualitas

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Calque
First attested
Cicero
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek (ποιότης)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈkʷaː.lɪ.taːs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈkʷaː.li.tas][1]

Forms

quālitās f (genitive quālitātis); third declension[1]

Etymology

It was coined by Cicero from quālis “of what kind” and the suffix -tās as a calque of Ancient Greek ποιότης (poiótēs, “quality”).[1][2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Cicero, who formed the word.[4][2] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant a distinguishing quality, characteristic, property, as in Cicero.[4][3] From Vitruvius it meant the nature or character of a thing, and in Quintilian the nature of a climate, a category in rhetoric, and in grammar the mood of a verb.[4][3]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant quality, nature, property.[6] British Medieval Latin used it for an attribute, primary and elemental qualities, and active and passive qualities.[7] It survives in Italian qualità, French qualité and Spanish calidad, and Old French gave English quality about 1300, “temperament, character”.[1][8]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero coins it.[4][2][5]
  • c. 84–c. 25 BC – Vitruvius uses it of a thing's nature.[4][5]
  • c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses it in rhetoric and grammar.[4][5]
  • c. 1300 – English quality is recorded.[8]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A distinguishing quality, characteristic.[4]
  2. Nature, character, (rhetoric) a category, (grammar) a mood.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  3. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  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
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Qualitas.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/qualitas. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·