aequabilitas

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ae̯.kʷaːˈbɪ.lɪ.taːs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [e.kʷaˈbiː.li.tas]^[1]

Forms

aequābilitās f (genitive aequābilitātis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin aequābilis (“equal, uniform”) + -tās, from aequō (“to make level”), from aequus (“even, level”).^[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Cicero.^[2][3] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.^[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant uniformity, evenness, equability, as in Cicero's aequābilitās in omnī vītā “consistency in the whole of life”; in grammar, analogy, correspondence, as in Varro; equity, fairness; and equality of status, as in Cicero.^[2][4] English equability (1530s) is from it.^[5]

Timeline

• 116–27 BC – Varro uses it in grammar.^[2][3]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of uniformity and fairness.^[2][3]
• 1530s – English equability is recorded.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. Uniformity, evenness, equability.^[2]
2. (grammar) Analogy, correspondence.^[2]
3. Equity, fairness.^[2]
4. Equality of status.^[2]

Word family

• inaequābilitās

Related words

• aequābilis
• aequābiliter
• aequālis
• aequālitās
• aequāliter
• aequāmentum
• aequātiō
• aequātus
• aequē
• aequitās
• aequus
• English equability

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
5. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com