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restauro

Etymology and origin of the Latin word restauro

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Confidence
Probable
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Tacitus

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [rɛsˈtau̯.roː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [resˈtaːu̯.ro][1]

Forms

restaurō (present infinitive restaurāre, perfect active restaurāvī, supine restaurātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from re- and a verb *staurō, also in īnstaurō “to renew”.[2][1] Wiktionary compares Sanskrit स्थूर (sthūrá, “big, strong”) and Proto-Germanic *stōraz (“big, strong”).[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Tacitus' Annals, of rebuilding.[2][3] Köbler dates Tacitus 98–115 AD.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to restore an object to its former condition, rebuild, repair, as Tacitus' restoration of buildings, and Lewis and Short say it is perhaps only post-Augustan, since the better reading in Livy is īnstaurāre.[2][5][3] In Justin and Ulpian it meant to re-establish a state of affairs, renew an activity.[2][3] Döderlein explains that īnstituere is to establish a profane institution, īnstaurāre a sacred or important one.[6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to restore.[7] Through Old French restorer it gave English restore about 1300, and the French present participle restaurant “food that restores” gave English restaurant by 1806.[8] It survives in Italian ristorare.[1]

Timeline

  • 98–115 AD – Tacitus uses it of rebuilding.[2][4]
  • before 223 AD – Ulpian uses it of re-establishing.[2][4]
  • c. 1300 – English restore is recorded, through Old French.[8]
  • 1806 – English restaurant is recorded, from French.[8]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To restore, rebuild, repair.[2]
  2. To re-establish; to renew.[2]

Word family

  • restaurātiō
  • restaurātor

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University 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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  8. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Restauro.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/restauro. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·