calipha

Forms

calīpha m (genitive calīphae); first declension^[1] Medieval spellings include galipha, kalipha, chalipha, califa and calipha with -ll- or -leph-, and there is a second-declension caliphus.^[2] British sources also have caliphes.^[3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Arabic خليفة (ḵalīfa, “successor, caliph”).^[2][3][1] The Arabic word means “successor”, the title of those who followed Muhammad as head of his followers.^[1][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Otto of Freising, in his chronicle, says part of Babylon was granted to the supreme priest “whom they call caliph”.^[2][4]

Semantic evolution

Medieval writers used it for the caliph residing in Baghdad and for the ruler of Egypt.^[2][3][5] Neo-Latin authors such as Melanchthon and Giovio still wrote of the caliphs of Egypt.^[6] English caliph (late 14th century) came through Old French from the Medieval Latin word.^[7]

Timeline

• 12th century – Otto of Freising uses it of the supreme priest of “Babylon”.^[2][4]
• 1188 – A letter of Saladin quoted by Roger of Wendover speaks of the caliph of Baghdad.^[3]
• late 14th century – English takes caliph from Old French, which had it from this word.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Medieval Latin) A caliph, title of the successor of Muhammad as head of the Muslims.^[2][3][1]
2. (Medieval Latin) The caliph residing in Baghdad.^[2][3]
3. (Medieval Latin) The ruler of Egypt.^[2][5][6]

Related words

• English caliph

Usage notes

Du Cange enters it under the spelling halifa.^[8] Stelten gives it as feminine,^[9] but the MLW and Wiktionary as masculine.^[2][1]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
3. ^ a b c d e f 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
4. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b Bartal, Antal, et al. (1987–), Lexicon Latinitatis Medii Aevi Hungariae, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online ed. ELTE
6. ^ a b Ramminger, Johann, Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700, www.neulatein.de
7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
8. ^ du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
9. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson