emptor

English

Etymology

From Latin ēmptor.

Noun

emptor (plural emptors)

1. (law) Buyer.
   • 1923 April, Emeric Hulme Beaman, “A Matter of Principle”, in The Windsor Magazine, number 340, page 560:

     “The point at issue seems to be now a mere difference of opinion as to the definition of the word ‘payment’ between the vendor and emptor. […]”

   • 1940 August, William L. Smyser, “Delivery of Possession Under Straight Bills of Lading in Germany”, in Comparative Law Series, volume 3, number 8, page 446:

     Nolte […] is of the following opinion: As a rule, the emptor cannot waive his claim for delivery of documents and demand delivery of the discharged goods […]

   • 2016, M. R. Griffiths, J. R. Lucas, Value Economics: The Ethical Implications of Value for New Economic Thinking, →ISBN, page 204:

     This was treacherous territory for both the emptor and the vendor, made even riskier by the sheer size of the market.

Related terms

• caveat emptor

Anagrams

• pro tem, pro tem., trompe

Latin

Alternative forms

• ēmtor

Etymology

From the supine theme of emō (“to buy”) +‎ -tor (agent noun suffix).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈeːmp.tor/, [ˈeːmpt̪ɔr]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈemp.tor/, [ˈɛmpt̪or]

Noun

ēmptor m (genitive ēmptōris); third declension

1. buyer, purchaser

   Caveat emptor

   Let the buyer beware

Declension

Third-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	ēmptor	ēmptōrēs
genitive	ēmptōris	ēmptōrum
dative	ēmptōrī	ēmptōribus
accusative	ēmptōrem	ēmptōrēs
ablative	ēmptōre	ēmptōribus
vocative	ēmptor	ēmptōrēs

Related terms

• emō
• ēmptiō
• ēmptrīx, ēmtrīx

References

• “emptor”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “emptor”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• emptor in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• emptor in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.