Etymologically
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characteristicus

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [kʰa.rak.teːˈrɪs.tɪ.kʊs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ka.rak.teˈris.ti.kus][1]

Forms

charactēristicus (feminine charactēristica, neuter charactēristicum); first/second-declension adjective[2][3] Medieval spellings include caracteristicus and karacteristicus.[2][4]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek χαρακτηριστικός (kharaktēristikós, “characteristic”).[1][2][4] Köbler places it with charactēr (“mark, character”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler finds it first in Peter Lombard, in the second third of the 12th century.[3] The MLW quotes Lambert of Liège citing John of Damascus on the Trinity: the persons of the Trinity differ from one another not in substance but in their characteristica idiomata, that is, their distinguishing properties.[2]

Semantic evolution

Scholastic writers kept it as a technical term for what marks out one person or individual from another.[2][4] Albertus Magnus uses it several times, and also as a neuter noun for the distinguishing features themselves;[2] Duns Scotus calls the feature in which one individual differs from another of the same species an adventitious difference and a caracteristica proprietās.[4]

Wiktionary lists the English adjective and noun characteristic among its descendants,[1] while Etymonline derives the English word, first attested in the 1660s, from character and -istic on the model of the Greek.[5]

Timeline

  • 2nd third of 12th century – Peter Lombard uses it.[3]
  • 1660s – English characteristic is first recorded.[5]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. (Medieval Latin, theology, philosophy) Characteristic, distinctive, specific; marking out one person or individual from another.[2][4][3]

Noun

  1. (Medieval Latin, neuter) A distinguishing feature.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  3. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ a b c d e 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 Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com