Etymologically
Log in

textilis

History Permalink

Etymology and origin of the Latin word textilis

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
96–55 BC, Lucretius
Ultimate origin
Latin (texō)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin texo
Latin subtemen
Latin retexo
Latin praetexo
Latin praetextus
Latin praetexta
Latin praetextatus
Latin intexo
Latin subtexo
Latin textilis
Latin textura

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈtɛk.stɪ.lɪs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈtɛk.sti.lis][1]

Forms

textilis (neuter textile); third-declension two-termination adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin texō (“to weave”) + -ilis,[2][1] formed on ⟨text-⟩, the stem of the perfect passive participle.[1] De Vaan traces texō to Proto-Italic *tekse/o- and Proto-Indo-European *teḱ-s- (“to fashion”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in Lucretius,[3][4] who speaks of a woven covering (textile tegmen).[5]

Semantic evolution

Cicero has a woven coverlet (textile stragulum), and, quoting a poet, calls a poisoned garment a “woven plague”, which Georges and Gaffiot identify as the robe of Nessus.[5][6][7] The neuter was used as a noun, textile, “a woven fabric”, and Livy has textilia for woven garments.[2][6]

It also meant “plaited, twined together”: Martial speaks of the plaited shade of a vine and of garlands of roses, and Seneca of a necklace woven with gold.[2][7] British medieval Latin uses it of what is suitable for weaving and also of thatching.[8] English took the noun as textile in the 1620s.[9]

Timeline

  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius speaks of a woven covering.[5][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero speaks of a woven coverlet.[5][6]
  • 40–102/103 AD – Martial uses it of plaited vine shade and rose garlands.[2][7]
  • 1620s – English borrows the noun as textile.[9]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Made by weaving, woven.[2][5]
  2. Made by plaiting; plaited or twined together.[2][7]

Noun

  1. (neuter as a noun) A woven fabric, cloth.[2][6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g 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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c d Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  7. ^ a b c d Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  8. ^ 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
  9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Textilis.” Etymologically, 20 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/textilis. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·