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Origin and history of commentary

commentary(n.)

early 15c., "series or collection of comments," from Medieval Latin commentarius "notebook, annotation; diary, memoir," noun use of adjective, "relating to comments," from Late Latin commentum ""comment, interpretation" (see comment (n.)). Perhaps the Medieval Latin noun is short for volumen commentarium. Especially "explanation of difficult and obscure passages in a book or other writing" (1530s). Meaning "historical narrative" is from c. 1600. Meaning "description of some public event" is from 1927.

also from early 15c.

Entries linking to commentary

comment(n.)

late 14c., "explanation, spoken or written remark," from Old French coment "commentary" or directly from Late Latin commentum "comment, interpretation," in classical Latin "invention, fabrication, fiction," neuter past participle of comminisci "to contrive, devise," from com-, here perhaps an intensive prefix (see com-), + base of meminisse "to remember," related to mens (genitive mentis) "mind" (from PIE root *men- (1) "to think").

The Latin word meaning "something invented" was taken by Isidore and other Christian theologians for "interpretation, annotation." No comment as a stock refusal to answer a journalist's question is first recorded 1950, from Truman's White House press secretary Charles Ross.

commentator(n.)

late 14c., "writer of commentaries," agent noun in Latin form from comment or commentary (Latin commentator meant "inventor, author," in Late Latin "interpreter"). Meaning "writer of notes or expository comments" is from 1640s; sense of "one who gives commentary" (originally in sports) is from 1928. Related: Commentatorial.

"Well, Jem, what is a commentator?["]—"Why," was Jem's reply, "I suppose it must be the commonest of all taturs." ["Smart Sayings of Bright Children," collected by Howard Paul, 1886]
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    [Robert Alter, "The Five Books of Moses," 2004, commentary on Genesis iii.20]...
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    1670s, "commentary between two choric songs in a Greek tragedy," also "an incidental narrative or digression within a story...
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    Parallel Bible Commentary," 1994]. The word there translated Hebrew parah "cow, heifer."...
    gloss
    By early 14c. in a bad sense, "deceitful explanation, commentary that disguises or shifts meaning."...
    cherub
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    testament
    late 13c., "last will disposing of property," from Latin testamentum "a last will, publication of a will," from testari "make a will, be witness to," from testis "witness," from PIE *tri-st-i- "third person standing by," from root *tris- "three" (see three) on the notion of "thir
    notation
    1560s, "explanation of a term" (a sense now obsolete), from French notation (14c.) and directly from Latin notationem (nominative notatio) "a marking, notation, designation; etymology; shorthand; explanation," noun of action from past-participle stem of notare "to note" (see note
    note
    c. 1200, noten, "observe, take mental note of, mark carefully," from Old French noter "indicate, designate; take note of, write down," from Latin notare "to mark, note, make a note," from nota "mark, sign, note, character, letter" (see note (n.)). Sense of "mention separately or

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