alteratio

Forms

alterātiō f (genitive alterātiōnis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin alterō + -tiō, a noun of action from the verb meaning “to change”.^[1][2] The verb itself is from Latin alter (“the other (of two)”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It first appears in the early 6th century in Boethius' commentary on Porphyry,^[4][5] where it means a change or difference, the variation that differences between things produce.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

In Late Latin it stayed rare, a term of logic for change and difference.^[2][6] Medieval writers made it a technical word of natural philosophy: Albertus Magnus uses it for change in quality, rendering Aristotle's ἀλλοίωσις (alloíōsis).^[7] The MLW also records it for healing, digestion, changes in plants and in alchemy, the debasing of coin, and for a succession or alternation.^[7] In British sources it means alteration in general and, in music, the doubling of a note's length.^[8]

English took it over in the late 14th century as alteration, partly through Old French.^[3]

Timeline

• early 6th century – Boethius uses it for change and difference.^[4][2]
• 13th century – Albertus Magnus uses it in natural philosophy for change in quality.^[7][4]
• late 14th century – English borrows it as alteration.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Late Latin) A change, alteration; a difference.^{[5][2][9][10]}
2. (Medieval Latin, philosophy) Change in quality.^[7]
3. (Medieval Latin, medicine) Healing; digestion.^[7]
4. (Medieval Latin) Debasement or falsification of coin.^[7]
5. (Medieval Latin) Alternation; succession.^[7]
6. (Medieval Latin, music) The doubling of a note's length.^[8]

Related words

• English alteration

Usage notes

Du Cange records it once in the statutes of Cadore standing for altercatio “dispute”.^[11]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
7. ^ a b c d e f g Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
8. ^ a b 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. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
10. ^ Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
11. ^ du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre