neuter Latin · revision 7438
16 Oct 2026, 13:52 by bogdan “New Latin entry (sources: de Vaan, OLD, Lewis & Short, TLL...)”
Initial text
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=Plautus|origins=la nē, la uter}}
+
+ ==Pronunciation==
+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈne.ʊ.tɛr]^(Wiktionary)
+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈnɛːu̯.ter]^(Wiktionary)
+
+ ==Forms==
+ '''neuter''' (feminine neutra, neuter neutrum); first/second-declension adjective (nominative masculine singular in -er, pronominal declension)^(Wiktionary)
+
+ ==Etymology==
+ It is from [[ne-]] “not” and [[uter]] “which of two, either”.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Lewis & Short 1879) In grammar it renders [[grc|οὐδέτερος|tr=oudéteros|t=neither]].^(Wiktionary) Varro has a genitive ⟨neutrī⟩, and grammarians use ⟨neutrī generis⟩.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)
+
+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==
+ The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus, of neither person and of neither thing.^(OLD 2012) Köbler's first source is Cicero; he dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^(Köbler 2010)
+
+ ==Semantic evolution==
+ It meant neither of two, as Cicero's ''hōrum neuter'' “neither of these men”, as a noun neither man or party, and ''in neutrum'' noncommittally, as in Plautus.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) From Varro it meant belonging to neither class, neutral, and in grammar neuter in gender.^(OLD 2012)
+
+ In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant neither, neuter.^(Stelten 1995) [[en|neuter]] came in the late 14th century as a grammatical term, and its derivative ''neutrālis'' gave [[en|neutral]].^(Etymonline) It was borrowed as Italian and Spanish ''neutro''.^(Wiktionary)
+
+ ==Timeline==
+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of neither.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of the neuter gender.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses ''hōrum neuter''.^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * late 14th century – English ''neuter'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)
+
+ ==Meanings==
+ ===Adjective===
+ # Neither of two, ''in neutrum'', noncommittally.^(OLD 2012)
+ # Of neither class, [[m|en|neutral]].^(OLD 2012)
+ # ''(grammar)'' [[m|en|Neuter]].^(OLD 2012)
+
+ ==Word family==
+ * [[neutrālis]]
+ * [[neutrubi]]
+ * [[neutrō]]
+
+ ==Related words==
+ * [[uter]]
+ * [[en|neuter]]
+ * [[en|neutral]]
+
+ ==References==
+ {{reflist}}