caritas Latin · revision 7529

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=Cato|origins=la cārus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈkaː.rɪ.taːs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈkaː.ri.tas]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''cāritās''' ''f'' (genitive cāritātis); third declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is from [[cārus]] “dear, costly” with the suffix [[-tās]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(TLL)^(Etymonline) Isidore explains the Christian word as Latin ⟨dīlectiō⟩, love of God and of one's neighbour.^(Isidore)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The OLD's earliest citation is from Cato, of dearness, high price.^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Cato 234–149 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It first meant dearness, a high price, as Cato and Cicero's ''cāritās annōnae'' “dearness of grain”, opposed to ''vīlitās''.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Gaffiot 2016) From Cicero it meant love, affection, esteem, for persons or things, as for one's country or parents, and it was used as a term of endearment.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) Döderlein explains that ''dīligere'' is love arising from esteem, while ''amāre'' is love arising from inclination.^(Döderlein 1874)

+

+ In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant charity, love, esteem, affection.^(Stelten 1995) Medieval Latin used it for almsgiving and for a meal of brotherhood, and British Medieval Latin still for dearth and high prices.^(Niermeyer 1976)^(DMLBS) It survives in Italian ''carità'' and French ''charité'', and in the high-price sense French ''cherté''.^(Wiktionary) Old French ''charité'' gave [[en|charity]] in late Old English.^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of high price.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of affection and of dear grain.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 560–636 AD – Isidore uses it of Christian love.^(Isidore)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * late Old English – ''charity'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Dearness, high price.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Love, [[m|en|affection]], esteem; a term of endearment.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(Ecclesiastical Latin)'' [[m|en|Charity]], Christian love.^(Stelten 1995)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' Almsgiving; a meal of brotherhood.^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[cārus]]

+ * [[en|charity]]

+ * [[en|cherish]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}