English → Latin
“text” in Latin
ōrātiōspeech, discourse, language; the power of speech; manner or style of speakingexempluma sample, example; a warning example, deterrent; torture, exemplary penalty, chastisementargūmentumargument (as in an argument for a position); evidence, a proof; a point, a theme; a topic, thesis
The English word text itself goes back to Latin texō, through textus.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
text
Words of a writer, oratio or verba scriptoris; oratio contexta (the words of the author, as opposed to commentaries; the last, Diom., 446, 24, P.): *exemplum (in the same sense, so far as the text is written or printed; i. e., perhaps in such sentences as,” the annotations which we have added after the Greek text, “annotationes quas post Graecum exemplum exhibemus). To correct the text of an author, *verba scriptoris a corruptelarum sordibus judicando emendare.
A portion of Scripture chosen as a subject of discourse, *argumentum: to preach on a text, *argumento proposito orationem sacram habere, *argumento proposito e sacro suggestu dicere: ☞ textum or textus, -ūs, are allowed as technical terms by most writers on the subiect; even J.A. Wolf uses them, sometimes with and sometimes without ut ita dicam: qui (quod) dicitur or vocatur.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for text?
- The usual Latin words for “text” are ōrātiō, exemplum, argūmentum. 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.