Etymologically
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tantum

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈtan.tũː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈtan.tum][1]

Forms

tantum (not comparable)[1]

Etymology

It is the neuter of tantus “so great”, used as a noun and as an adverbial accusative.[2][1] De Vaan derives ⟨tantus⟩ from Proto-Italic *tānto- (“so great”), from Proto-Indo-European *teh₂-nt-o-, a PIE type of adjective in ⟨*-nt-⟩ built on pronominal stems; it is related to tam “so”.[3][1] Compare Oscan etanto (“so great”) and Umbrian etantu.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Plautus on:[4] quanta istaec hominum summast? — septem mīlia. — tantum esse oportet, “how many men is that? — seven thousand. — that is how many there should be”.[2]

Semantic evolution

As a pronoun tantum means “so much”, also restrictively “so much and no more” (tantum est “that is all”).[2] Its cases give phrases of price and degree: tantī “worth so much”, tantō “at such a price” and, with comparatives, “by so much” (tantō magis “all the more”), and in tantum “to such a degree”.[2]

As an adverb it means “so much, to such an extent” and “only, merely” (nunc tantum disputō dē iūre “now I am only discussing the law”); tantum modo is “only”, nōn tantum … sed etiam “not only … but also”, tantum quod “only just”, and tantum nōn “all but, almost”.[2][1] In Medieval Latin it also meant “at most” and, as a conjunction, “provided that”.[5] Grammar uses plūrāle tantum for a noun used only in the plural.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – First found in Plautus, also in tantō magis.[2][4]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses tantummodo, “only”.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero: ars dēmōnstrat tantum ubi quaerās, “the art only shows where to look”.[2][4]
  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses tantum nōn, “all but”.[2][4]

Meanings

Pronoun

  1. So much, such a quantity;[2][1] so much and no more.[2]
  2. tantī, worth so much;[2] tantō, at such a price.[2]
  3. tantō (with comparative), by so much;[2] in tantum, to such a degree.[2]

Adverb

  1. So much, to such an extent.[2][1][6]
  2. only, merely, just;[2][1] tantum modo, only;[2] nōn tantum … sed etiam, not only … but also.[2]
  3. tantum quod, only just;[2] tantum nōn, all but, almost.[2]
  4. (Medieval Latin) At most;[5] (conjunction) provided that.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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 r s t u Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b 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 e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson