anecdotum

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English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Back-formation from anecdota, reinterpreting the nominative neuter plural case ending -a as a Latin case ending (singular: -um), rather than (as is etymologically-consistent) as an Ancient Greek case ending (singular: -on, from -ον (-on)); perhaps reinforced by Latin anecdotum.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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anecdotum (plural anecdota)

  1. (rare, Latinate) Alternative spelling of anecdote
    • 1837, Friedrich Adolf Ebert, Arthur Browne, A General Bibliographical Dictionary, entry 8,304, page 633:
      Ang. Mai published it anew by mistake as an anecdotum, under the title, Philonis Judæi de virtute ejusque partibus.
    • 1965, David Roy Shackleton Bailey, Cicero’s Letters to Atticus, 371 (xiv. 17) — Pompeii, 3 May 44 — cicero to atticus: ¶ 6, page 49 (University Press)
      I have not yet quite polished that anecdotum of mine to my satisfaction.

Latin

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Etymology

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From Ancient Greek ἀνέκδοτος (anékdotos, accounts unpublished), from ᾰ̓ν- (an-, negative prefix) (English an-) + ἔκδοτος (ékdotos, published), from ἐκδῐ́δωμῐ (ekdídōmi, to publish), from ἐκ (ek, out) +‎ δῐ́δωμῐ (dídōmi, to give).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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anecdotum n (genitive anecdotī); second declension

  1. a short story or narrative, anecdote

Declension

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Second-declension noun (neuter).

Case Singular Plural
Nominative anecdotum anecdota
Genitive anecdotī anecdotōrum
Dative anecdotō anecdotīs
Accusative anecdotum anecdota
Ablative anecdotō anecdotīs
Vocative anecdotum anecdota

Synonyms

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