chronica

Forms

chronica n pl (genitive chronicōrum); second declension^[1][2] Late and Medieval Latin also have a feminine singular chronica (genitive chronicae), of the first declension.^[1][3][4] The neuter singular chronicon or chronicum also occurs.^[1]

Etymology

It is the neuter plural of the adjective chronicus (“of time; in the form of annals”), used as a noun,^[1][2][5] and renders Ancient Greek τὰ χρονικά (tà khroniká), the Greek “(books) of time”.^[2][6][7] The adjective goes back to χρονικός (khronikós, “of time”), itself made on χρόνος (khrónos, “time”).^[6][4] Later writers took the neuter plural for a feminine singular, ⟨chronica⟩, genitive ⟨chronicae⟩.^[6][1][8]

Isidore of Seville explains that ⟨chronica⟩ is the Greek name for what Latin calls a series of times, since Greek ⟨chronos⟩ is Latin tempus (“time”).^[9]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its earliest author is Pliny the Elder, who speaks of an undoubted error of the chronicles, chronicōrum errōre nōn dubiō.^[1][2][5][4]

Semantic evolution

Gellius quotes the chronicles and names a book of Apollodorus entitled Chronica, and Ausonius the Chronica of Cornelius Nepos.^[1] Christian writers used it for the chronicle of Eusebius in Jerome's Latin: Augustine cites the chronicles of Eusebius and Jerome, Sulpicius Severus follows the reckoning of the chronicles,^[1] and Cassiodorus defines chronicles as images of histories and very brief records of the times.^[1]

The feminine singular appears in the later chronicles themselves.^[1] A Vienna list of consuls records that Orosius and Prosper made chronicās, and Gregory of Tours speaks of the chronicles or histories of earlier years and of what the chronicle of Eusebius sets out.^[1][4] In medicine Isidore uses the feminine for a long illness that lingers for many seasons.^[1]

Medieval Latin used both forms for a chronicle or for any historical work,^{[3][10][11][12]} as when Otto of Freising refers to what was said in his earlier chronicles;^[10] it could also stand for history, the course of events.^[10] The statutes of Mantua use it for a register: no one who is not in the chronica or roll of notaries may draw up public instruments.^[8] It is the source of Italian cronaca,^[7] and English chronicle came from it through Anglo-French and Old French.^[6]

Timeline

• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder speaks of an error of the chronicles.^[1][2][4]
• c. 165 AD – Gellius names a book of Apollodorus entitled Chronica.^[1][4]
• 354–430 AD – Augustine cites the chronicles of Eusebius and Jerome.^[1][4]
• c. 485–c. 580 AD – Cassiodorus defines chronicles as very brief records of the times.^[1][4]
• 538/539–594 AD – Gregory of Tours uses the feminine singular.^[1][4]
• c. 560–636 AD – Isidore of Seville explains the name and uses the feminine for a chronic illness.^[9][1][4]
• 1157–1158 – Otto of Freising refers to his earlier chronicles.^[10][4]
• c. 1300 – English chronicle is recorded, through Anglo-French.^[6]

Meanings

Noun

1. A chronicle, a record of events in the order of time; annals.^[1][2][5]
2. (Late Latin, Medieval Latin; feminine) A chronicle; any historical work.^{[1][3][10][11]}
3. (Medieval Latin) History, the course of events.^[10]
4. (Medieval Latin) A register, roll or catalogue.^[8]
5. (Late Latin, medicine; feminine) A chronic illness.^[1][11]

Related words

• English chronicle

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
2. ^ a b c d e f Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
7. ^ a b Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
8. ^ a b c du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
9. ^ a b Isidore of Seville, Etymologiarum sive Originum libri XX, ed. W. M. Lindsay (Oxford, 1911).
10. ^ a b c d e f Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
11. ^ a b c 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
12. ^ 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