Etymologically
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theatrum

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [tʰeˈaː.trũː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [teˈaː.trum][1]

Forms

theātrum n (genitive theātrī); second declension[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek θέατρον (théatron, “place for viewing”), from θεάομαι (theáomai, “to watch”).[1][2][3] An inscription has ⟨teatr-⟩.[2] Isidore says it is named from watching, because the people standing above looked on at the plays.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Naevius, of a theatre.[2] Köbler dates Naevius c. 235–200 BC.[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant a theatre, a place for watching plays, also used in Greek cities for public meetings, and by metonymy the audience, as in Cicero.[2][5][6] From Cicero it also meant a stage on which one's qualities are shown in public.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant a theatre or show.[7] In British Medieval Latin it also meant a stage or platform.[8] English theater came in the late 14th century, through Old French and directly from Latin, first of the ancient open-air theatres.[9]

Timeline

  • c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it of a theatre.[2][3]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of the audience and of a public stage.[2][3]
  • late 14th century – English theater is recorded.[9]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A theatre; a place of public assembly.[2]
  2. The audience in a theatre.[2]
  3. A public stage for one's qualities.[2]

Word family

  • theātrālis
  • theātricus

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ Isidore of Seville, Etymologiarum sive Originum libri XX, ed. W. M. Lindsay (Oxford, 1911).
  5. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  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