litteratus Latin · revision 10147
17 Oct 2026, 01:40 by bogdan “New Latin entry (sources: de Vaan, OLD, Lewis & Short, TLL...)” current version
Initial text
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=Plautus|origins=la littera}}
+
+ ==Pronunciation==
+ * IPA (Classical): [lɪt.tɛˈraː.tʊs]^(Wiktionary)
+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [lit.teˈraː.tus]^(Wiktionary)
+
+ ==Forms==
+ '''litterātus''' (feminine litterāta, neuter litterātum, comparative litterātior, superlative litterātissimus, adverb litterātē); first/second-declension adjective^(Wiktionary)
+ Also spelled ''līterātus''; comparative ''litterātior'', superlative ''litterātissimus''.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(OLD 2012)
+
+ ==Etymology==
+ It is [[af|la|littera|-ātus|t1=letter]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) Etymonline notes that in the sense “learned” it imitated [[grc|γραμματικός|tr=grammatikós]].^(Etymonline) De Vaan finds no convincing etymology for ⟨littera⟩.^(de Vaan 2008)
+
+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==
+ The OLD's earliest citation is Plautus, of a little sword inscribed with letters.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^(Köbler 2010)
+
+ ==Semantic evolution==
+ Its first sense was marked with letters, inscribed, and of slaves branded, as in Plautus and Apuleius; from Cicero it meant well versed in letters, learned, cultured, and as a noun a man of culture or a grammarian.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016)
+
+ Medieval Latin used ''vir litterātus'' for a cleric, and also bearing an inscription.^(Köbler 2010)^(Niermeyer 1976) English ''literate'' (early 15th century) is from it, and German ''Literat'' is from it.^(Etymonline)^(Köbler 2010)
+
+ ==Timeline==
+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of an inscribed sword.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of the learned.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * early 15th century – English ''literate'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)
+
+ ==Meanings==
+ ===Adjective===
+ # Marked with letters, inscribed; [[m|en|branded]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)
+ # [[m|en|learned|alt=Learned]], cultured, [[m|en|literate]].^(OLD 2012)
+ # ''(noun)'' A man of letters; a grammarian.^(OLD 2012)
+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' A [[m|en|cleric]].^(Köbler 2010)
+
+ ==Word family==
+ * [[illitterātus]]
+ * [[litteratulus]]
+ * [[perlitteratus]]
+
+ ==Related words==
+ * [[littera]]
+ * [[litterātūra]]
+ * [[en|literate]]
+
+ ==References==
+ {{reflist}}