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rotula

Etymology and origin of the Latin word rotula

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Latin (rota)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈrɔ.tʊ.ɫa][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈrɔː.tu.la][1]

Forms

rotula f (genitive rotulae); first declension[1] A masculine rotulus is also found, as in Calpurnius.[2][3]

Etymology

It is a diminutive of rota “wheel” with the suffix -ula.[2][1] De Vaan traces ⟨rota⟩ to the feminine of an old adjective ⟨*Hrot-o-⟩ “revolving”, from Proto-Indo-European ⟨*Hret-⟩ “to run, roll”.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lewis & Short and Köbler cite Plautus, whom Köbler dates c. 250–184 BC.[3][5]

Semantic evolution

It meant a little wheel, in Plautus and Columella.[2][3]

British Medieval Latin used it for the wheel of a plough, cart, siege engine or bed.[6] Medieval Latin rotulus “a roll of parchment” passed through Old French rolle into English roll about 1200, and French rôle “the roll on which an actor's part was written” gave English role about 1600.[7]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.[3][5]
  • c. 1200 – English roll is recorded.[7]
  • c. 1600 – English role is recorded.[7]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A little wheel.[2]

Usage notes

A separate Medieval Latin rotulus or rotula, a unit of weight, is from Arabic رَطْل (raṭl).[1][5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ 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
  7. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Rotula.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/rotula. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·