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sortiarius

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word sortiarius

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
9th century, Hincmar
Ultimate origin
Latin sors
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin sors
French sort
French sorte
Dutch soort
Latin sortiarius
French sorcier
From the same root
English consort ← sors
Latin consors ← sors
Latin exsors ← sors

Forms

sortiārius m (genitive sortiāriī or sortiārī); second declension[1] Sorcerus is listed as another form.[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin sors (“lot, fate”) + -ārius, so etymologically a teller of fortunes by lots.[1][2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It appears in the capitularies and in the writings of Hincmar in the 9th century, meaning a sorcerer.[3][1]

Semantic evolution

Its only medieval sense is “sorcerer”.[2][1] It is the source of Old French sorcier and of French sorcier.[1] Etymonline gives the medieval Latin form as sortarius, “teller of fortunes by lot; sorcerer”, and derives from it Spanish sortero and Italian sortiere as well; through Old French it gave English sorcer and sorcerer.[4]

Timeline

  • 9th century – Hincmar uses it of sorcerers.[1][3]
  • late 14th century – Its Old French descendant is borrowed into English as sorcer.[4]
  • early 15th century – The extended English form sorcerer appears.[4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (Medieval Latin) A sorcerer.[2][1][3]
  • English sorcerer
  • English sorcery

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com

Descendants

Cite this entry

“Sortiarius.” Etymologically, 24 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/sortiarius. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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