Ante litteram
LATIN EXPRESSION
Meaning and English translation 🔖
Ahead of its time, trailblazer
🇬🇧 Ahead of its time; before a concept or term was coined or became common.
🇮🇹 In anticipo sui tempi; prima che un concetto o un termine fosse creato o diventasse comune.
Example sentences 💬
Marie Curie era una femminista ante litteram, lottando per il suo posto nel mondo scientifico maschile.
Marie Curie was a feminist ahead of her time, fighting for her place in the male-dominated scientific world.
Il Codice di Hammurabi può essere considerato una dichiarazione dei diritti umani ante litteram.
The Code of Hammurabi can be considered a declaration of human rights before its time.
Il Manifesto della Cucina Futurista di Marinetti del 1930 può essere considerato un esempio di gastronomia sperimentale ante litteram.
Marinetti's 1930 Manifesto of Futurist Cuisine can be considered an example of experimental gastronomy ante litteram.
Ne abbiamo parlato qui [we talked about this here]
→ La parola “Gusto” e il Manifesto della Cucina Futurista.
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Where does the expression come from? 🔎
The expression ante litteram originates from the world of intaglio printing, a technique widely used from the 15th century onwards. Here's how the process worked:
- Creating the matrix: Artisans used sharp tools to engrave the image onto a copper plate (the matrix).
- Image proof: Once the image was engraved, ink was applied to the matrix and a test print was made on paper. This print contained only the image, without text.
- Ante-litteram print: This first test print was called "ante litteram" (before the letter), as it did not yet contain any text or caption.
- Adding text: If the proof was satisfactory, the artisan would engrave the text or caption onto the copper matrix.
- Final print: The complete print with both image and text would be produced.
The "ante litteram" prints were particularly valuable to collectors, as they represented the first impressions of the artist's work, before any textual additions.
Over time, the expression acquired a broader metaphorical meaning, indicating something that anticipates or is ahead of its time, just as these prints anticipated the final version of the work.
