Etymologically
Log in

relatus

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 17 October 2026 at 00:17. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [rɛˈɫaː.tʊs], [rɛˈɫaː.tuːs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [reˈlaː.tus], [reˈlaː.tus][1]

Forms

relātus m (genitive relātūs); fourth declension[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin referō (“to carry back, report”) + -tus, a verbal noun of the fourth declension from the supine stem ⟨relāt-⟩.[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's earliest source is Ovid.[3] Köbler dates Ovid 43 BC–18 AD.[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant the telling of events, narration, recital, as in Seneca and Tacitus; an official report, a motion put before the senate, as in Tacitus' Annals; and the utterance of sounds in reply.[2][4][5]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant a recital, narrative.[6]

Timeline

  • 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid uses it.[3]
  • 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca uses it of narration.[2][3]
  • 98–115 AD – Tacitus uses it of an official report.[4][3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. The telling of events, narration.[2]
  2. An official report, motion.[4][5]
  3. The utterance of sounds in reply.[2]

Usage notes

relātus is also the perfect participle of referō.[4][5][6]

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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson