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summarius

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word summarius

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
555/556 AD, Julian's Epitome
Ultimate origin
Latin summa
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin summa
French somme
Latin summarius
English summary
From the same root
Latin consummo ← summa
Latin summarium ← summa
Latin summatim ← summa

Forms

summārius (feminine summāria, neuter summārium); first/second-declension adjective[1][2]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin summa (“sum, total”) + -ārius.[1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's earliest record is a noun summārius, an assessor or valuer, in Julian's Epitome of the Novels (555/556 AD).[1]

Semantic evolution

As an adjective it is Medieval Latin, meaning summary or concise;[4][2][1] in Thomas Aquinas it describes what contains the main point, as in cognitio summaria.[5] English took summary from it in the early 15th century,[3] and German has summarisch.[1]

Timeline

  • 555/556 AD – Julian's Epitome has the noun for an assessor.[1]
  • c. 1250 – The adjective “summary, concise” is recorded.[1]
  • early 15th century – English borrows it as summary.[3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. (Medieval Latin) summary, concise.[4][2][1]
  2. (Medieval Latin) Containing the main point or the substance.[5][3]

Noun

  1. (Late Latin) An assessor or valuer.[1]

Usage notes

Georges also records summārius “pack animal” from a letter of Cicero;[6][1] Köbler calls its origin unknown and compares sagma.[6][1] The DMLBS refers this medieval summarius to salmarius.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  2. ^ a b c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  3. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  5. ^ a b Schütz, Ludwig (1895), Thomas-Lexikon, 2nd ed., Paderborn: F. Schöningh
  6. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  7. ^ 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

Borrowed into

Cite this entry

“Summarius.” Etymologically, 24 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/summarius. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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