charisma

Forms

charisma n (genitive charismatis); third declension^[1] Tertullian has the ablative plural charismatis.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek χάρισμα (khárisma, “grace, favour, gift”).^[1][4][2][5] The Greek noun comes from χαρίζεσθαι (kharízesthai, “to show favour”), from χάρις (kháris, “grace, favour”).^[6][4] Köbler and Etymonline trace these to Proto-Indo-European *gʰer- (“to like, want”).^[4][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first author is Tertullian,^[4][2] who speaks of the distribūtiōnēs charismatum, the distributions of spiritual gifts, and of spīritālia charismata.^[2]

Semantic evolution

It was a word of the Church, for a gift of divine grace.^[2][7][8] The Old Latin Bible used it in the letters of Paul, where the Vulgate has grātia: “do not neglect the gift that is in you” in the first letter to Timothy, and the “diversities of gifts” in the first letter to the Corinthians.^[2] Tertullian speaks of gifts quae charismata dīcimus, “which we call charismata”.^[2] Prudentius uses it with a long first syllable for a gift or present,^[2][5] and glossaries explain it as a spiritual gift or a gift of divine grace.^[9][2]

In Medieval Latin it could name the Holy Spirit itself,^[10] writings inspired by the Spirit, and a gift or grant of land: an English charter of 956 lets the holder leave his karisma to any heir he wishes.^[11][12] It was also confused with chrīsma, the consecrated oil,^[11] and in Poland it named the graces given to the faithful through the Church.^[13] English had karisme “spiritual gift” about 1500, charism from the 1640s and charisma from 1875.^[6]

Timeline

• c. 160–220 AD – Tertullian speaks of spiritual gifts.^[2][4]
• after 220 AD – The Old Latin Bible uses it in the letters of Paul.^[2][4]
• 348/49–c. 413 AD – Prudentius uses it for a gift.^[2][5][4]
• 639–709 AD – Aldhelm writes of the Spirit heaping gifts on holy minds.^[12][4]
• 956 – An English charter uses it of a grant of land.^[12]
• 1875 – English charisma is recorded.^[6]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Ecclesiastical Latin) A gift of divine grace, a spiritual gift, a charism.^{[2][7][10][8]}
2. (Late Latin) A gift, present; a favour.^[5][2][12]
3. (Medieval Latin) The Holy Spirit.^[10]
4. (Medieval Latin) Writings inspired by the Holy Spirit.^[11]
5. (Medieval Latin) A grant, donation.^[11][12]
6. (Medieval Latin) Chrism, consecrated oil.^[11]

Related words

• chrīsma
• grātia
• English charisma

Usage notes

Medieval scribes often wrote carisma or karisma.^[10][11][4]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
3. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
7. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
8. ^ a b Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
9. ^ Goetz, Georg (1888–1923), Corpus glossariorum Latinorum, Leipzig: Teubner; vols. VI–VII Thesaurus glossarum emendatarum, digital ed. CGLO, Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
10. ^ a b c d Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
11. ^ a b c d e f Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
12. ^ 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
13. ^ Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl