versatilidad

Forms

versatilidad f (plural versatilidades)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Spanish versátil + -idad.^[1] Corominas lists it, undated, after versátil, which he dates to 1739 and derives from Latin versātilis (“turning, revolving”).^[2][3] The Latin adjective is formed from versō (“to turn”) with the suffix -ilis.^[4][1] Echegaray and Barcia compared Catalan versatilitat, French versatilité and Italian versatilità.^[5][6] The Tesoro PR of Puerto Rico classes the word as an adapted anglicism, from English versatility.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in the first volume of Feijoo's Teatro crítico universal (1726), thirteen years before Corominas's date for the adjective: Feijoo speaks of a “political versatility” of which Chancellor Bacon wrote, the ability of men to deal with any situation.^[8][3]

Semantic evolution

In the 19th century the word mostly meant fickleness of character: Larra used it in 1835 for his own inconstancy, and in 1830 a novel speaks of the versatilidad of a king.^[8] The Academy's dictionary of 1843 defined it as the quality of being versátil and gave volubilidad “fickleness” as a synonym, and Domínguez added inconstancy and lack of firmness.^[9][10] Since 1884 the Academy has defined it only as the quality of being versátil, which now also means able to adapt to many uses; today the word is mostly used for this ability, of people, tools or machines.^[11][12][13] In the Americas the word is recorded from 1840, in Venezuela, again for changeable political loyalties.^[14]

Timeline

• 1726 – first record, in Feijoo's Teatro crítico universal.^[8]
• 1835 – Larra uses it for the inconstancy of his own character.^[8]
• 1840 – first record in the Americas, in Venezuela.^[14]
• 1843 – the Academy's dictionary enters it, as the quality of being versátil or fickle.^[9]
• 1884 – the Academy defines it only as the quality of being versátil.^[11]

Meanings

Noun

1. versatility: the ability to adapt easily and quickly to different tasks or uses: La versatilidad de esta herramienta sorprende a los carpinteros.^[15][1][13]
2. Fickleness, inconstancy (inconstancia) of mood or character.^[9][10][14]

Related words

• versátil
• versar
• verter
• Latin versātilis

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ Corominas, Joan; Pascual, José A. (1980–1991), Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico, 6 vols., Madrid: Gredos, p. 5, 791
3. ^ a b Corominas, Joan (1973), Breve diccionario etimológico de la lengua castellana, 3rd ed., Madrid: Gredos, p. s.v. verter
4. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
5. ^ Echegaray, Eduardo de (1887–1889), Diccionario general etimológico de la lengua española, 5 vols., Madrid: José María Faquineto
6. ^ Barcia, Roque (1880–1883), Primer diccionario general etimológico de la lengua española, 5 vols., Madrid: Establecimiento Tipográfico de Álvarez Hermanos
7. ^ Academia Puertorriqueña de la Lengua Española; Universidad de Puerto Rico, Tesoro lexicográfico del español de Puerto Rico, https://tesoro.pr
8. ^ a b c d Real Academia Española (2013–), Corpus del Diccionario histórico de la lengua española (CDH), version 3.1, https://apps.rae.es/CNDHE
9. ^ a b c Real Academia Española (1843), Diccionario de la lengua castellana, 9th ed., Madrid: Imprenta de D. Francisco María Fernández
10. ^ a b Domínguez, Ramón Joaquín (1846–1847), Diccionario nacional o gran diccionario clásico de la lengua española, 2 vols., Madrid: Establecimiento Léxico-Tipográfico de R. J. Domínguez
11. ^ a b Real Academia Española (1884), Diccionario de la lengua castellana, 12th ed., Madrid: Imprenta de D. Gregorio Hernando (the first Academy edition with etymologies)
12. ^ Real Academia Española; Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española (2014–), Diccionario de la lengua española, 23rd ed., online version 23.8, https://dle.rae.es, p. s.v. versátil
13. ^ a b Battaner Arias, Paz (dir.) (2017), Diccionario general de la lengua española VOX, Barcelona: Larousse Editorial
14. ^ a b c Boyd-Bowman, Peter (2003), Léxico hispanoamericano 1493–1993, ed. Ray Harris-Northall and John J. Nitti, New York: Hispanic Seminary of Medieval Studies
15. ^ Real Academia Española; Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española (2014–), Diccionario de la lengua española, 23rd ed., online version 23.8, https://dle.rae.es