Etymologically
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charisma

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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]

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