Etymologically
Log in

remedium

This is an old revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 18 October 2026 at 20:34. It may differ significantly from the current version. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Current version Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [rɛˈmɛ.di.ũː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [reˈmɛː.di.um][1]

Forms

remedium n (genitive remediī or remedī); second declension[1]

Etymology

It is formed from re- and medeor (“to heal”) with the suffix ⟨-ium⟩, perhaps through a verb ⟨*remedērī⟩.[2][3][4] Etymonline suggests that the prefix may be intensive here.[5] De Vaan derives medeor from Proto-Italic *med-ē-, from Proto-Indo-European *med- (“to measure”), with a shift from “to measure” to “to give a cure”; it is cognate with Ancient Greek μέδομαι (médomai, “to care for”) and Gothic 𐌼𐌹𐍄𐌰𐌽 (mitan, “to measure”).[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Cato has intertrīginī remedium, “a remedy for chafing”.[2] Caecilius has cum meae mortī remedium reperībit nēmō, “since no one will find a remedy for my death”, and Köbler dates it from Terence.[2][7]

Semantic evolution

Remedium is “a remedy, cure, medicine” for illness or injury, and a remedy against other physical troubles, such as famine (Pliny the Elder).[2][4][1] Figuratively it is any means of countering or avoiding a non-physical ill, “a remedy, relief”, and also “aid, help”.[2][1]

Church Latin glosses it “remedy”.[8] In Medieval Latin remedium animae is the salvation of the soul, and a gift made for it; it also means a reduction of taxes.[9] English remedy comes from it, through Anglo-French, about 1200.[5]

Timeline

  • 234–149 BC – Cato: intertrīginī remedium.[2][7]
  • 230/220–168 BC – Caecilius: mortī remedium.[2][7]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses it.[7]
  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius: ratiō remediī.[4][7]
  • c. 1200 – English remedy.[5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A remedy, cure, medicine.[2][4][1][8]
  2. A remedy (against physical troubles).[2]
  3. A means of countering, relief; aid, help.[2][1]
  4. (Medieval Latin) remedium animae: the salvation of the soul; a gift for it.[9]
  5. (Medieval Latin) A reduction of taxes.[9]

Word family

  • remedialis

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  6. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  7. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  8. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  9. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill