Etymologically

reputo

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 13:58. This address is a permanent link to this version.

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈrɛ.pʊ.toː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈrɛː.pu.to][1]

Forms

reputō (present infinitive reputāre, perfect active reputāvī, supine reputātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from re- “again, back” and putō “to reckon, think”.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, of thinking something over.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to think over, reflect on, consider, as in Plautus and Cicero.[2][5] From Cicero it meant to reckon up, calculate, as the eclipses of the sun, and in Tacitus and Pliny the Elder to count up times and years.[2][6] In the jurists it meant to take into account, allow for expenses.[2][6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to esteem, repute, account, reckon.[7] It survives in French réputer and Italian reputare, and English repute came in the late 14th century, “to believe, deem”.[1][8] In Vulgar Latin it came to mean “to impute, blame”, whence Old French reter and English rate “to scold”.[8]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of thinking over.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of calculating eclipses.[2][6][4]
  • 98–115 AD – Tacitus uses it of counting up times.[6][4]
  • late 14th century – English repute is recorded.[8]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To reckon up, calculate.[2]
  2. (law) To take into account, allow for.[2]
  3. To think over, reflect on, consider.[2]
  4. (Ecclesiastical Latin) To esteem, repute.[7]

Word family

  • reputātiō

References

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