Cultus
/ˈkʊl.tʊs/noun
In Latin, cultus means care, cultivation, refinement, or religious worship.
Did you know?Cultus is the ancestor of both “culture” and “cult,” showing how the same Latin root could grow into farming, refinement, and religious devotion.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kʷel-
“to turn, revolve, or dwell; to be engaged in movement or habitation”
Latin
Latin
colere
“to till, cultivate, inhabit, care for, honor”
Latin
Latin
cultus
“care, cultivation, refinement, worship; also dress or adornment”
Old French
Old French
culte
“religious worship”
Middle English
English
cult
“worship; a particular form of religious devotion”
Modern English
English
cult
“a system of religious veneration or a small, often extreme group devoted to a person, idea, or thing”
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