English

Noun

pietas ‎(uncountable)

1. A virtue among the Ancient Romans: duty or religiosity.

Latin

Etymology

Derived from pius ‎(“pious, devout”) +‎ -tās ‎(“-ty, -dom”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈpi.e.taːs/, [ˈpi.ɛ.taːs]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈpi.e.tas/, [ˈpiː.e.tas]

Noun

pietās f ‎(genitive pietātis); third declension

1. Dutiful conduct, sense of duty.
2. (to the gods) Piety, conscientiousness, scrupulousness,
3. (to one's parents, children, relatives, country, benefactors, etc.) Duty, dutifulness, affection, love, loyalty, patriotism, gratitude.
4. Gentleness, kindness, tenderness, pity, compassion.

Inflection

Third declension.

Derived terms

• pietāticultrīx

Related terms

• piē
• piō
• pium
• pius

Descendants

• English: piety, pity
• French: piété, pitié
• Italian: pietà
• Portuguese: piedade
• Romanian: pietate
• Spanish: piedad

References

• pietas in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• pietas in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• PIETAS in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
• Félix Gaffiot (1934), “pietas”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette.
• pietas in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898) Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• pietas in William Smith, editor (1848) A Dictionary of Greek Biography and Mythology, London: John Murray