Etymologically
Log in

sermo

Etymology and origin of the Latin word sermo

History

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈsɛr.moː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈsɛr.mo][1]

Forms

sermō m (genitive sermōnis); third declension[1]

Etymology

It goes back to Proto-Italic *sermō and is usually derived from the root Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“to line up, link”) of serere “to join, string together”, as “a stringing together of words”.[2][1][3] De Vaan finds this not compelling but defensible, since words for “speech” in other languages have similar origins, and Varro already linked it with seriēs.[2][4] It cannot be connected with Oscan sverruneí because of the initial *sw-.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Plautus onwards,[2][5] in whom a character complains “your talk stinks to me”, and who has the proverb lupus in sermone “the wolf in the conversation”, for someone who turns up as he is being discussed.[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant one's words or talk, an informal address, and above all conversation or dialogue, which Cicero distinguishes from formal oratory (contentio).[6][4] It meant a discussion on a learned topic and a work written as a dialogue, and Horace called his Satires and Epistles sermones.[6] It also meant gossip and rumour, a topic of talk, a style of speaking, and a language or dialect, as in Cicero's Latinus sermo.[6][7]

In Christian Latin it meant the word of God and a homily or sermon, and in medieval Latin also a pledge, a command, and sermo regis, the king's protection.[8][9] Through French it gave English sermon around 1200.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it for talk and conversation.[6][5]
  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it for a dialogue on agriculture.[6][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero contrasts conversation with oratory.[4][5]
  • 65–8 BC – Horace calls his Satires sermones.[6][5]
  • Middle Ages – It means a sermon and the king's protection.[8]
  • c. 1200 – Through French it gives English sermon.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Speech, talk, words.[6][4]
  2. An informal address.[6]
  3. A conversation, dialogue; a learned discussion.[6][4]
  4. Common talk, gossip; a topic of talk.[6]
  5. A style of speaking; the conversational style.[6]
  6. A language, dialect.[6]
  7. An expression; the wording of a document.[6]
  8. (Ecclesiastical Latin) A homily, sermon; the Word of God.[8][9]
  9. (Medieval Latin) A pledge; a command, sermo regis: royal protection.[8]

Word family

  • semisermo
  • sermonalis
  • sermunculus
  • sermōcinor
  • serō
  • English sermon

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  7. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  8. ^ a b c d Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  9. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
Cite this entry

“Sermo.” Etymologically, 10 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/sermo. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on .