actualitas

Forms

āctuālitās f (genitive āctuālitātis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin āctuālis + -tās in Medieval Latin.^[1][2] Conte calls it a medieval Latin word, the source of Italian attualità.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The MLW cites it from Albertus Magnus, in the 13th century, for an active power or efficacy, set beside potentialitas.^[4][2]

Semantic evolution

It was a word of scholastic philosophy:^[5][6] in British writers from Grosseteste and Roger Bacon to Duns Scotus and Bradwardine it means actuality as opposed to potentiality.^[5] Thomas Aquinas uses it both for actualization or activity and for the state of being actual, reality, as the opposite of potentialitas.^[6] Stelten glosses it reality, existence.^[7]

French actualité and Catalan actualitat descend from it.^[1]

Timeline

• 13th century – Albertus Magnus uses it for active power, beside potentiality.^[4][2]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Medieval Latin, philosophy) Active power, efficacy.^[4][6]
2. (Medieval Latin, philosophy) Actuality, the state of being actual, as opposed to potentiality.^[5][6][1]
3. (Ecclesiastical Latin) Reality, existence.^[7]

Related words

• English actuality

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
3. ^ Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
4. ^ a b c Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
5. ^ a b c Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
6. ^ a b c d Schütz, Ludwig (1895), Thomas-Lexikon, 2nd ed., Paderborn: F. Schöningh
7. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson