Etymologically
Log in

textilis

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 20 October 2026 at 15:43. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

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