later Latin · revision 5920

+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|attested=Plautus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈɫa.tɛr]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈlaː.ter]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''later''' ''m'' (genitive lateris); third declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ Its origin is uncertain.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan suggests that if its first meaning was “piece, part”, it may be cognate with [[latus]] “side”, and the OLD compares ''latus'' and [[lāmina]] “plate”.^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012) Lewis and Short connected [[grc|πλατύς|tr=platús|t=broad]].^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan dates it from Plautus, whose character says it is no wonder old bricks fall from an old wall.^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant a brick or tile, ''laterēs dūcere'' “to make bricks”, and a block, bar or ingot of metal, as Plautus' heavy iron bar and Varro's gold ingots.^(OLD 2012) The proverb ''laterem lavāre'', to wash a brick, meant to labour in vain, as in Terence.^(Gaffiot 2016)

+

+ In Medieval Latin ''lutum et later'', mud and brick, was a type of something worthless.^(DMLBS)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus speaks of old bricks.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 190–159 BC – Terence uses ''laterem lavāre''.^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of bricks.^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|brick]], tile.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A block, bar, [[m|en|ingot]] (of metal).^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[laterārius]]

+ * [[laterculum]]

+ * [[laterculus]]

+ * [[latericius]]

+ * [[laterina]]

+ * [[sēmilater]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[latus]]

+ * [[en|laterite]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The proverb ''laterem lavāre'', “to wash a brick”, meant to waste one's effort.^(Gaffiot 2016)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}