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vocabulum

Etymology and origin of the Latin word vocabulum

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Latin (vocō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [wɔˈkaː.bʊ.ɫũː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [voˈkaː.bu.lum][1]

Forms

vocābulum n (genitive vocābulī); second declension[1]

Etymology

It is from vocō “to call, name” with the instrumental suffix -bulum.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citations are from Plautus.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant a word that designates a thing or idea, a name, term, as Terence's philosophers whose schools take their names from themselves and Cicero's use.[2][5][6] In grammar, as in Varro, it meant a noun, and especially a common noun as distinct from a proper name.[2] Döderlein says verbum is a word as a part of speech, vocābulum as a part of the language.[7]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant a name, word, noun.[8] In Medieval Latin it also meant a named place.[9] It survives in French vocable and Italian vocabolo.[1] English vocable came in the mid-15th century, and English vocabulary in the 1530s from Medieval Latin vocābulārium “a list of words”.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of names.[2][4]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of terms.[5][4]
  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of nouns.[2][4]
  • 1530s – English vocabulary is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A word, name, term.[2]
  2. (grammar) A noun; a common noun.[2]
  3. (Medieval Latin) A named place.[9]

Word family

  • vocābulārium
  • prōvocābulum

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b 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. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  8. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  9. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
Cite this entry

“Vocabulum.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/vocabulum. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·