Etymologically
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apparentia

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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]

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