English → Latin
“history” in Latin
nārrātiōnarration, narrative, storyantīquitāsantiquity (ancient times); the good old days; the ancientslitteraletter (of the alphabet); handwriting; letter, epistle
The English word history itself goes back to Latin historia.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
history
A narration, narratio: diminutive, narratiuncula: memoria alicujus rei or de re (account that is in existence, or has been circulated; e.g., de Myrone memoria duplex prodita est).
History = collected narrative of events, res or res gestae: memoria rerum gestarum: memoria annalium: res veteres: antiquitas (i. e., ancient history): litterae (as far as contained in books or other written documents, especially as bearing on national customs and manners; Nep., Praef., 2; Pel., 1, 1): historia or historia rerum gestarum (mostly implying a scientific or careful treatment of the subject). Fabulous or mythological history, historia fabularis (Suet.); fabulae. The Roman history, res populi Romani; litterae populi Roman; historia populi Romani. Universal history, perpetua rerum gestarum historia (Cic., Fam., 5, 12, 6). ☞ An adjective with “history” should mostly be translated by a genitive with rerum; thus, sacred, profane history, historia rerum sacrarum, profanarum; or, at all events, historia, quam dicimus sacram, profanam, etc. Grecian history, historia rerum Graecarum, or res Graecae only. To write a history, historiam scribere, componere, or instituere; rerum gestarum historiam complecti: to write the history of his own times, scribere historiam earum rerum, quae sunt ipsius aetate gestae (Cic.): to write the Roman history, res Romanas, or populi Romani, historia comprehendere, perscribere; res Romanas in historiam conferre: to complete a history, historiam perficere, absolvere: to study history, historiae se dare: to be well read or versed in history, historias plures novisse: to be very fond of history, esse magno studio rerum veterum: to have no knowledge of history, nullam memoriam antiquitatis collegisse: Well versed in ancient history, omnis antiquitatis peritissimus.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for history?
- The usual Latin words for “history” are nārrātiō, antīquitās, littera. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.