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spiritus

Etymology and origin of the Latin word spiritus

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Latin (spiro)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin spiro
English transpire
Latin spiritus
English spirit

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈspiː.rɪ.tʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈspiː.ri.tus][1]

Forms

spīritus m (genitive spīritūs); fourth declension[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin spīrō (“to breathe”) + -tus.[2][1][3] The verb is Proto-Italic *spīr/s-, possibly an imitation of the sound of breathing, with no direct cognates.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Plautus onwards,[3][4] whose battle scene has a mist rising “from the breath and panting” of the men.[2]

Semantic evolution

It meant breathing, a single breath, and the breath itself, as in Plautus, Ennius and Cicero, and breath as the sign of life, so that to give up one's spiritus was to die.[2] From this it meant the soul or spirit, divine inspiration, as Cicero's poet “filled as it were with a divine breath”, and a person's disposition, especially pride or high spirits.[2][1]

It meant air in motion, a wind or breeze, as Ennius' storm, air as an element, and an exhalation or scent, as Lucretius' perfume.[2] In Christian Latin it was the Holy Spirit, Spiritus Sanctus, and a spirit or ghost.[1][5] English spirit came from it partly through Old French in the mid-13th century.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of men's breath.[2][4]
  • 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of breathing and of the wind.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of divine inspiration.[2][4]
  • mid-13th century – English spirit is recorded.[6]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Breathing, a breath.[2][1]
  2. Breath (of life); life.[2][1]
  3. The soul, spirit.[2][1]
  4. Divine inspiration.[2]
  5. Essential quality, nature.[2]
  6. Disposition; spirit, courage; pride, arrogance.[2][1]
  7. Air in motion, a breeze.[2][1]
  8. Air (as an element).[2]
  9. An exhalation, scent.[2]
  10. (Christian Latin) The Holy Spirit; a spirit, ghost.[1][5]

Word family

  • spīritālis
  • spīrituālis
  • spīrābilis
  • spīrāculum
  • spīrāmen
  • spīrāmentum
  • spīrātiō
  • spīrātus
  • spīritālitās
  • spīritāliter
  • spīrituālitās
  • spīrō
  • English spirit

Usage notes

Döderlein says aura and spiritus are air in motion, while anima and aer are air as an element.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  7. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper

Descendants

Cite this entry

“Spiritus.” Etymologically, 15 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/spiritus. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

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