apparentia

Forms

appārentia f (genitive appārentiae); first declension^[1] Also spelled adpārentia.^[2][1]

Etymology

It is from Latin appārēns (“appearing, visible”) + -ia, an abstract noun made on the present participle of appāreō (“to appear”).^[1][2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first author is Tertullian, who reckons time ab appārentiā Chrīstī, “from the coming of Christ”, where it means an appearance or coming into view.^[4][2][5]

Semantic evolution

Christian writers such as Priscillian and Ambrosiaster kept the sense of an appearance or advent of Christ.^[4] Firmicus Maternus is the first to use it of outward appearance, the look of a thing,^[2][5] and Wiktionary dates this sense, the source of the modern words, to Late Latin.^[1] Ancient glossaries render it by Greek ἐπιφαινόμενα.^[6]

Medieval Latin added the senses of an apparition, the season of Advent, and mere seeming.^[7] In British law it meant a person's appearance in court, and also looks or aspect.^[8] Du Cange records it for display and for a pretext,^[9] and in the Latin of Amerigo Vespucci an island is “of good appearance”.^[10] Italian apparenza and French apparence continue it,^[1][11] and English appearance came through Anglo-French in the late 14th century.^[12]

Timeline

• c. 160–220 AD – Tertullian uses it of the coming of Christ.^[4][3]
• 343/350 AD – Firmicus Maternus uses it of outward appearance.^[2][3]
• c. 1272 – British records use it of an appearance in court.^[8]
• late 14th century – English appearance comes from it through Anglo-French.^[12]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Late Latin) A becoming visible, appearance; the coming or advent (of Christ).^[2][4][5]
2. (Late Latin) Outward appearance, look.^[2][5][11]
3. (Medieval Latin) An apparition; seeming, semblance; the season of Advent.^[7][8]
4. (Medieval Latin, law) An appearance in court.^[8]

Related words

• English appearance

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c d Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
5. ^ a b c d Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
6. ^ Goetz, Georg (1888–1923), Corpus glossariorum Latinorum, Leipzig: Teubner; vols. VI–VII Thesaurus glossarum emendatarum, digital ed. CGLO, Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ a b c d 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. ^ du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
10. ^ Ramminger, Johann, Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700, www.neulatein.de
11. ^ a b Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
12. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com