glōssa

Meaning

1. an obsolete, foreign, rare, or otherwise difficult term that requires explanation
   protinus enim potest interpretationem linguae secretioris, quas Graeci γλώσσας vocant, dum aliud agitur, ediscere et inter prima elementa consequi rem postea proprium tempus desideraturam. et quoniam circa res adhuc tenues moramur, ii quoque versus, qui ad imitationem scribendi proponentur, non otiosas velim sententias habeant sed honestum aliquid monentes.He can readily learn the explanations or glosses, as the Greeks call them, of the more obscure words by the way and, while he is still engaged on the first rudiments, acquire what would otherwise demand special time to be devoted to it. And as we are still discussing minor details, I would urge that the lines, which he is set to copy, should not express thoughts of no significance, but convey some sound moral lesson. ― translation from the same sourcecirca AD 95, Marcus Fabius Quintilianus (author), Harold Edgeworth Butler (editor, translator), Institutio Oratoria (1920), book I, chapter i, § 35
2. Late Latinan explanation or interpretation of such a word
3. Medieval Latinan explanation added to a passage of text, a gloss
4. in plurala term applied to collections of such words with explanations, a glossary
5. Medieval Latinin plurala series of glosses assembled into a commentary
6. Medieval Latina language, dialect, or peculiar idiom
7. Medieval Latinan image or example (of a thing)

Declension

Origins

1. Proto-Hellenic*glṓt͏̌t͏̌ā
2. Latinglōssa

Ancient Greek γλῶσσᾰ (glôssă)bor. Latin glōssa Borrowed from Ancient Greek γλῶσσᾰ (glôssă).

In English words that came into English from glōssa

• glossglōssa
• glozeglōssa

Related words