doctus Latin · revision 18069

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 250–184 BC, Plautus|origins=ine-pro *doḱ-}}

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''doctus''' (feminine ''docta'', neuter ''doctum''; comparative ''doctior'', superlative ''doctissimus''); first/second-declension adjective^(OLD 2012)

+ Plautus has the genitive plural ''doctum''.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is the perfect passive participle of [[m|la|doceō|t=to teach]], used as an adjective.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(de Vaan 2008) De Vaan traces [[m|la|doceō]] to [[itc-pro|*dok-eje-]] and [[ine-pro|*doḱ-eye/o-|t=to make someone accept something]], cognate with [[grc|δοκεῖ|tr=dokeî|t=it seems]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan dates it from Plautus,^(de Vaan 2008) who says of a clever woman ''nihil hāc doctā doctius'', “nothing is more learned than this learned lady”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Doctus'' is “learned, wise” (Terence: “I never come to you without leaving wiser”), of words and works “learned, skilful” (Catullus of his friend's history in three ''cartīs doctīs''), and as a noun ''doctī'', “the learned”.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) It is “taught by practice, expert, skilled”, also of animals.^(OLD 2012) It is used especially of poets and poetry, and ''doctae sorōrēs'' are the Muses (Horace: ivy, ''doctārum … praemia frontium'', “the reward of learned brows”).^(OLD 2012)

+

+ Church Latin glosses it “learned”.^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: ''nihil hāc doctā doctius''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus: ''cartīs doctīs''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 65–8 BC – Horace: ''doctārum … praemia frontium''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|learned]], [[m|en|wise]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Stelten 1995)

+ # Skilled, expert (by practice).^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(of poets)'' Learned, ''doctae sorōrēs'', the [[m|en|Muses]].^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(masculine plural)'' The learned.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[doceō]]

+ * [[doctor]]

+ * [[doctrīna]]

+ * [[documentum]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}