aequalitas

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ae̯ˈkʷaː.lɪ.taːs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [eˈkʷaː.li.tas]^[1]

Forms

aequālitās f (genitive aequālitātis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from aequālis “equal, of the same age” with the suffix -tās.^[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Cicero, of equal degree, equal age and political equality.^[2] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant equality of amount, equal distribution, as in Quintilian, and in Cicero equal degree, equality of age, as aequālitās vestra “your being of the same age”, and equality of status or merit.^[2][5] From Seneca it meant uniformity of shape or texture, regularity of motion, settled weather, consistency of conduct, and evenness, smoothness of ground.^[2] Cicero uses it of the evenness of style, similitūdō aequālitāsque verbōrum, and Pliny of symmetry in a work of art.^[2][6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant equality.^[7] British Medieval Latin used it of equality, including that of the persons of the Trinity, and of evenness.^[8] It survives in Spanish igualdad and Portuguese igualdade, and English equality came through Old French in the late 14th century.^[1][9]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of equality of age and status.^[2][4]
• 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca uses it of uniformity.^[2][4]
• c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses it of equal distribution.^[2][4]
• late 14th century – English equality is recorded.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. Equality of amount or degree.^[2]
2. Equality of age.^[2]
3. Equality of status or merit.^[2]
4. Uniformity; regularity; consistency.^[2]
5. Evenness, smoothness; level ground.^[2]
6. Symmetry, proportion.^[2]

Related words

• aequābilis
• aequābilitās
• aequābiliter
• aequālis
• aequāliter
• aequāmentum
• aequātiō
• aequātus
• aequē
• aequitās
• aequus
• English equality

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
8. ^ 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
9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com