Etymologically

1400s

Latin words first recorded in the 15th century

8 Latin words whose earliest known written record dates from the 15th century, earliest first. Words dated only to part of the century follow the ones with a year.

  1. graduatio

    1411

    It is from Latin gradus (“step; academic degree”), in its medieval academic sense, beside the verb graduō (“to take or confer a degree”).

  2. paraphernalis

    1417

    It is a medieval adjective from Latin parapherna (“a wife's property besides her dowry”), formed with the suffix -ālis. The noun goes back to Ancient Greek παράφερνα (parápherna).

  3. importantia

    1430

    It is from Latin importāns + -ia, the present participle of importō (“to bring in; to bring about”).

  4. contemporarius

    1450

    It is from Latin con- + temporārius (“of time”). Wiktionary instead derives it directly from tempus (“time”) with the suffix -ārius.

  5. obituarius

    1454

    It is from Latin obitus (“death”) + -ārius. The noun obitus comes from obeō (“to go to meet, to die”).

  6. eventualis

    1464

    It is from Latin ēventus (“occurrence, outcome”), an adjective formed in Medieval Latin; Köbler refers it to ēveniō (“to come out, happen”).

  7. encyclopaedia

    1500

    It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ἐγκύκλιος παιδεία (enkúklios paideía, “education in the circle of arts and sciences”), written as one word, from ἐγκύκλιος (enkúklios, “circular”) and παιδεία…

  8. gnomus

    1500–1599

    It was coined in the 16th century by Paracelsus. The source is uncertain: perhaps a compound of Ancient Greek γῆ (gê, “earth”) and νομός (nomós, “dwelling”), “earth-dweller”; less likely γνώμη…

All Latin words by century →