templum

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈtɛm.pɫũː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈtɛm.plum]^[1]

Forms

templum n (genitive templī); second declension^[1]

Etymology

The origin is uncertain, with no parallel in the other Italic languages.^[1] De Vaan derives it from Proto-Italic *t(e)mp-lo-, from a root Proto-Indo-European *temp- (“to stretch”), hence “stretching” > “measuring”, comparing Lithuanian tem̃pti (“to pull, stretch”) and Old Norse þǫmb (“bow”).^[2][1] The OLD and Lewis and Short compare Ancient Greek τέμνω (témnō, “to cut”) and Ancient Greek τέμενος (témenos, “sacred precinct”), a cut-off space.^[3][4] Varro distinguishes three kinds of templum: in the sky, on earth for taking the auspices, and below the earth.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan and Köbler date it from Livius Andronicus.^[2][6] Köbler places his career before 200 BC.^[6]

Semantic evolution

It was first the space of sky or land that the augur marked out with his staff, within which he watched for omens, then a piece of ground consecrated by the augurs, such as the site of a temple or the speakers' platform.^[3][4] From this came a building consecrated to a god, a temple, and in poetry any region or quarter, as in Ennius' “blue regions of the sky”.^[3] Lucretius and later writers use the plural for the purlins of a roof.^[3][2]

Döderlein contrasts templum, fānum and dēlūbrum, a temple with its consecrated grounds, with aedēs, the building only.^[7] In Christian and medieval Latin it was a church, and in the Middle Ages also a house of the Knights Templar.^[8][9] English temple comes from it through Old English tempel, and contemplor “to observe”, first used of marking out a templum, gave English contemplate.^[10]

Timeline

• before 200 BC – Livius Andronicus uses it.^[2][6]
• 204–169 BC – Ennius has “look at the temple of Ceres on the left”.^[3][6]
• 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses templa of roof beams.^[3][6]
• 116–27 BC – Varro describes the three kinds of templum.^[5][6]
• Old English – borrowed as tempel.^[10]

Meanings

Noun

1. The area of sky or land marked out by an augur for taking the auspices.^[3]
2. A consecrated piece of ground; a sanctuary.^[3]
3. A temple.^[3]
4. A region, quarter (of the sky or the world).^[3]
5. (plural) A purlin, roof beam.^[3]
6. (Ecclesiastical Latin) A church.^[8][9]
7. (Medieval Latin) A house of the Knights Templar.^[8]

Word family

• contemplum
• extemplō
• templāris
• templātim
• contemplor

Related words

• English temple
• English contemplate

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b Marcus Terentius Varro, De lingua Latina (text of The Latin Library; book and paragraph numbers as there).
6. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
8. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
9. ^ a b 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
10. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com