cultus Latin · revision 6891

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=Plautus|origins=la colō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈkʊɫ.tʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈkul.tus]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''cultus''' ''m'' (genitive cultūs); fourth declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is from [[colō]] “to till, tend, dwell, worship” with the suffix of action nouns [[-tus]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Gaffiot 2016) Plautus has an old dative ⟨cultu⟩.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Köbler's first source is Plautus, whom he dates c. 250–184 BC; the OLD notes the dative ''cultu'' in Plautus' ''Rudens''.^(Köbler 2010)^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Its senses follow those of ''colō'': it meant dwelling in a place, the tilling of the ground, as Cicero's farmers' labour on rocky land, and the cultivation of plants and tending of animals.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) It meant the training or education of a person, personal care and upkeep, and the adorning or dressing of a person, so that it also came to mean style of dress, finery and equipment, as in Sallust and Tacitus.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) It meant a mode or standard of living, refinement, a civilized condition, and in a bad sense luxury.^(OLD 2012) From Cicero onwards it meant the worship of a god, an act or form of worship, and devotion or loyalty to a person.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016)

+

+ In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant worship, reverence and cult.^(Stelten 1995) In Medieval Latin it also meant land brought under cultivation and custom or habit.^(Niermeyer 1976) [[en|cult]] came through French ''culte'' in the 17th century, first meaning “worship, homage”.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus has the word.^(Köbler 2010)^(OLD 2012)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of tilling, of education and of worship.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 86–34 BC – Sallust uses it of dress and finery.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 1610s – English ''cult'' is recorded, from French ''culte''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Dwelling, [[m|en|habitation]].^(OLD 2012)

+ # The tilling of the ground; the [[m|en|cultivation]] of plants; the tending of animals.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # Training, [[m|en|education]].^(OLD 2012)

+ # Personal care and upkeep; care of a house.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Adornment, dress, style of dress; finery; equipment.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016)

+ # ''(rhetoric)'' Stylistic ornament, polish.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A way or standard of living; refinement, civilization; luxury.^(OLD 2012)

+ # The [[m|en|worship]] of a god; a form of worship, [[m|en|cult]].^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016)

+ # Devotion, loyalty, respect.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' Land brought under cultivation; custom.^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[incultus]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[agricola]]

+ * [[colō]]

+ * [[colōna]]

+ * [[colōnārius]]

+ * [[colōnātus]]

+ * [[colōnia]]

+ * [[colōniārius]]

+ * [[colōnicus]]

+ * [[colōnus]]

+ * [[culta]]

+ * [[cultūra]]

+ * [[en|cult]]

+ * [[en|culture]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Cultus, -a, -um'', the participle of ''colō'', is an adjective meaning tilled, well cared for, smart, refined, as Varro's ''ager cultior'' “better cultivated land”.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}