causalitas

Forms

causālitās f (genitive causālitātis); third declension^[1][2]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin causālis (“of a cause”) + -tās,^[1] and so goes back to causa (“cause”).^[1][3] Conte calls it a medieval Latin word.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler records it in a work falsely ascribed to Augustine.^[1] Among the earliest uses quoted is one by Robert Grosseteste, who writes that every later cause has its causality from the earlier and higher cause.^[4]

Semantic evolution

The scholastics used it for the character of a thing as a cause, the way it acts on something else:^[2][5][4] Albert the Great speaks of the causality of the stars, which orders the world below,^[2] and Thomas Aquinas of the causality of the first agent.^[5] It also came to mean the connection between causes and effects^[2][6][7] and, in British sources, a cause itself.^[4] Duns Scotus, Bradwardine and Wyclif use it in the same way.^[4]

Italian causalità comes from it.^[3]

Timeline

• 1259–1265 – Thomas Aquinas uses it in the Summa contra Gentiles, and often in his other works, for the causal character of a thing.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Medieval Latin) causality: the character or action of a thing as a cause.^[2][5][4]
2. (Medieval Latin) The causal connection or relation between things.^[2][6][4]
3. (Medieval Latin) A cause.^[4]

Related words

• causalis
• causa

References

1. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
2. ^ a b c d e f Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
3. ^ a b c Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
4. ^ a b c d e f g 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
5. ^ a b c d Schütz, Ludwig (1895), Thomas-Lexikon, 2nd ed., Paderborn: F. Schöningh
6. ^ a b Latinitatis medii aevi lexicon Bohemorum / Slovník středověké latiny v českých zemích (1977–), Prague: Academia; electronic version, Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences
7. ^ Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl