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tanto

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word tanto

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 250–184 BC, Plautus
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*teh₂-nt-)

Forms

tantō (not comparable)[1]

Etymology

It is the ablative singular neuter of tantus (“so great”), used as an adverb.[1][2] De Vaan derives tantus from Proto-Italic *tānto- and Proto-Indo-European *teh₂-nt-o-, an adjective of a pronominal stem, beside tam (“so”); cognate with Oscan etanto (“so great”).[3] The OLD notes it is formed like quantus.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus has bis tantō amīcī sunt inter sē quam prius, “they are twice as good friends as before”, and ter tantō peior, “three times worse”.[2][4][5]

Semantic evolution

Tantō is used with comparatives, “by so much, so much the”: often correlated with quantō, “the more … the more” (Caesar: quantō … gravior oppugnātiō, tantō crēbriōrēs litterae, “the heavier the siege, the more frequent the letters”).[2][1] With multiplying words it gives bis tantō “twice as much” and quīnquiēs tantō amplius “five times as much” (Cicero).[2] It also means “as much as” with a comparative clause.[1] Tantō opere or tantopere is “so greatly, so very”.[4]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: bis tantō amīcī.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero: quīnquiēs tantō amplius.[2][5]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar: quantō … tantō crēbriōrēs.[2][5]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. By so much, so much the (with comparatives).[2][1]
  2. (with quantō) The more … the more.[2]
  3. (bis tantō, ter tantō) Twice, three times as much.[2][4]
  4. As much as.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  3. ^ 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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
Cite this entry

“Tanto.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/tanto. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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