argumentum

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₂erǵ-

Proto-Indo-European *-us

Proto-Indo-European *h₂érǵus

Proto-Italic *argus

Proto-Indo-European *-eti

Proto-Indo-European *-ti

Proto-Italic *-ō

Proto-Italic *arguō

Latin arguō

Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥

Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥tom

Proto-Italic *-mentom

Latin -mentum

Latin argūmentumlbor.

English argumentum

Learned borrowing from Latin argūmentum. Doublet of argument.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: ärgyo͞omĕnʹtəm, IPA^(key): /ɑːɡjuːˈmɛntəm/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɑɹɡjuˈmɛntəm/
• (Latinate) IPA^(key): /ɑɹ.ɡuːˈmeɪn.tum/
• Rhymes: -ɛntəm

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

argumentum (plural argumenta)

1. (formal, logic, law) An argument or appeal, especially as used in various Latin phrases.
   • 1682, Sir Edward Coke, Argumentum Anti-Normannicum‎^[1], John Darby:

     Argumentum anti-Normannicum: or, An argument proving, from ancient histories and records, that William, Duke of Normandy, made no absolute conquest of England by the sword...

Derived terms

• argumentum ab auctoritate est fortissimum in lege (law)
• argumentum ab auctoritate plurimum valet in lege (law)
• argumentum ab impossibili plurimum valet in lege (law)
• argumentum ab impossibili valet in lege (law)
• argumentum ab inconvenienti est validum in lege; quia lex non permittit aliquod inconveniens (law)
• argumentum ad antiquitatem (logic)
• argumentum ad baculum (logic)
• argumentum ad captandum (logic)
• argumentum ad consequentiam (logic)
• argumentum ad crumenam (logic)
• argumentum ad dictionarium
• argumentum ad feminam
• argumentum ad fidem
• argumentum ad Hitlerum (logic)
• argumentum ad hominem (logic)
• argumentum ad ignorantiam (logic)
• argumentum ad infinitum (logic)
• argumentum ad invidiam
• argumentum ad judicium
• argumentum ad lapidem (logic)
• argumentum ad Lazarum (logic)
• argumentum ad logicam (logic)
• argumentum ad metum (logic)
• argumentum ad misericordiam (logic)
• argumentum ad nauseam (logic)
• argumentum ad novitatem (logic)
• argumentum ad numerum (logic)
• argumentum ad odium (logic)
• argumentum ad passiones
• argumentum ad populum (logic)
• argumentum ad temperantiam (logic)
• argumentum ad verecundiam (logic)
• argumentum a fortiori (logic)
• argumentum a silentio
• argumentum a simili valet in lege (law)
• argumentum baculinum
• argumentum e silentio, argumentum ex silentio (logic)
• argumentum ex motu (theology)
• argumentum ex ratione causæ efficientis (theology)
• argumentum ornithologicum

Related terms

• arguendi causa
• arguendo

Latin

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₂erǵ-

Proto-Indo-European *-us

Proto-Indo-European *h₂érǵus

Proto-Italic *argus

Proto-Indo-European *-eti

Proto-Indo-European *-ti

Proto-Italic *-ō

Proto-Italic *arguō

Latin arguō

Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥

Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥tom

Proto-Italic *-mentom

Latin -mentum

Latin argūmentum

From arguō (“to prove or demonstrate”) + -mentum (“instrument; medium; result of”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ar.ɡuːˈmɛn.tũː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ar.ɡuˈmɛn.tum]

Noun

argūmentum n (genitive argūmentī); second declension

1. argument (as in an argument for a position); evidence, a proof
2. a point, a theme
3. a topic, thesis
4. a plot, especially in theater.
5. a device, as for war.

Declension

Second-declension noun (neuter).

	singular	plural
nominative	argūmentum	argūmenta
genitive	argūmentī	argūmentōrum
dative	argūmentō	argūmentīs
accusative	argūmentum	argūmenta
ablative	argūmentō	argūmentīs
vocative	argūmentum	argūmenta

Derived terms

• argūmentālis
• argūmentor
• argūmentōsus

Descendants

• Catalan: argument
• → English: argumentum, argument (learned)
• French: argument
• Galician: argumento
• → German: Argument
• Italian: argomento
• → Old Irish: argumeint, argumint
  • Middle Irish: argamaint, argamint
    • Irish: argóint, argaimint (later borrowing)
    • Manx: argane
    • Scottish Gaelic: argain, argainn
• Portuguese: argumento
• Romanian: argument
• Spanish: argumento
• → Russian: аргуме́нт (argumént)

References

• “argūmentum”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “argumentum”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• "argumentum", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• “argūmentum”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette, page 160.
• Carl Meißner; Henry William Auden (1894), Latin Phrase-Book‎^[2], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • a strong, striking proof: argumentum firmum, magnum
    
  • to bring forward a proof: argumentum afferre
    
  • to quote an argument in favour of immortality: argumentum immortalitatis afferre (not pro)
    
  • to bring forward a proof of the immortality of the soul: argumentum afferre, quo animos immortales esse demonstratur
    
  • a proof of this is that..: argumento huic rei est, quod
    
  • to prove a thing indisputably: argumentis confirmare, comprobare, evincere aliquid (or c. Acc. c. Inf.)
    
  • to derive an argument from a thing: argumentum ducere, sumere ex aliqua re or petere ab aliqua re
    
  • to persist in an argument, press a point: argumentum premere (not urgere)
    
  • the points on which proofs are based; the grounds of proof: loci (τόποι) argumentorum (De Or. 2. 162)
    
  • to refute arguments: argumenta refellere, confutare
    
  • the plot of the piece: argumentum
    
  • I have nothing to write about: non habeo argumentum scribendi
    
  • I have nothing to write about: deest mihi argumentum ad scribendum (Att. 9. 7. 7)
    
• argumentum in Ramminger, Johann (16 July 2016 (last accessed)), Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎^[3], pre-publication website, 2005-2016
• “argūmentum” on page 168/1 of the Oxford Latin Dictionary (1st ed., 1968–82)
• Niermeyer, Jan Frederik (1976), “argumentum”, in Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden, Boston: E. J. Brill, page 59/2