Etymologically
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veterator

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [wɛ.tɛˈraː.tɔr][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ve.teˈraː.tor][1]

Forms

veterātor m (genitive veterātōris); third declension[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin vetus (“old”) + -tor.[2][3] Georges and Gaffiot derive it from veterō (“to make old”).[4][5] De Vaan lists it among the derivatives of vetus, which goes back to Proto-Italic *wetos- (“year”) and Proto-Indo-European *uet-os- (“year”).[3] Cognate with Ancient Greek ἔτος (étos, “year”) and Hittite u̯itt- (“year”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan and Köbler date it from Terence,[3][6] who uses it in the Andria.[7]

Semantic evolution

It means a man grown old in some activity, an experienced practitioner, often in a bad sense.[2][8] Cicero calls an orator quite an old hand at private cases, and Gellius uses it of one versed in literature.[8][5] More often it is a crafty fellow, an old fox:[8][4] Cicero joins it with acutus and versutus, sharp and wily, and says that some people are not tricksters in argument.[8][7]

The jurists use it of a slave who had served for some time, as opposed to a newly bought one;[2][5] Venuleius reports Caelius' view that this depends on the kind of service, not its length.[2][5] A British medieval chronicler uses it of “old hands” in a disparaging sense.[9]

Timeline

  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses it in the Andria.[7][6]
  • c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius uses it.[7][6]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of an orator experienced in private cases.[8][6]
  • c. 165 AD – Gellius uses it of one versed in literature.[8][6]

Meanings

Noun

  1. An experienced practitioner, an old hand.[2][8]
  2. A crafty fellow, an old fox, a trickster.[8][4]
  3. (law) A slave of long service, as opposed to a newly bought one.[2][5]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ 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
  4. ^ a b c Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  5. ^ a b c d e Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  7. ^ a b c d Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  9. ^ 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