audientia

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [au̯.diˈɛn.ti.a]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [au̯.diˈɛn.t͡si.a]^[1]

Forms

audientia f (genitive audientiae); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from audiēns, the present participle of audiō “to hear”, with the suffix -ia.^[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first source is Plautus, whom he dates c. 250–184 BC.^[4] The OLD's first citation is Cicero, of obtaining a hearing.^[2]

Semantic evolution

It meant a listening, attention, heed, especially in audientiam facere “to obtain a hearing”, as in Cicero, whose eloquent old man's speech wins a hearing by itself.^[2][5][6] It also meant a body of listeners, an audience.^[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant hearing, attention, audience.^[7] In Medieval Latin it meant the sense of hearing, a hearing granted to a petitioner, an interview, a court session, and in universities a course of lectures.^[8][9] It survives in Spanish audiencia, and Italian udienza is a calque.^[1] English audience came through Old French in the late 14th century, first meaning “the act of hearing”.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.^[4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses audientiam facere.^[2][5][4]
• late 14th century – English audience is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. A hearing, attention, audientiam facere, to obtain a hearing.^[2]
2. An audience, listeners.^[2]
3. (Medieval Latin) A hearing granted; a court session.^[8][9]

Related words

• audiēns
• audiō
• audītiō
• audītor
• audītōriālis
• audītōrium
• audītōrius
• audītus
• English audience

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
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 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. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
9. ^ 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