coincido

Forms

coincidō (present infinitive coincidere, perfect active coincidī, supine coincāsum); third conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin con- + incidō¹ (“to fall into or upon”), “to fall upon together”.^[1][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is a scholastic word of the 13th century:^[3][4] in the questions on animals ascribed to Albertus Magnus, the efficient cause and the matter are said never to coincide.^[3][5]

Semantic evolution

Roger Bacon uses it of things that fall together into one essence or substance, and of the form that coincides with the efficient cause;^[4] Wyclif applies it in logic.^[4] Niermeyer glosses it “to coincide, to agree”,^[6] and Etymonline notes that Medieval Latin used it in astrology.^[2] English took it up as coincide, first for “be identical in substance” (1705) and only from 1809 for “occur at the same time”.^[2]

Timeline

• 13th century – Albertus Magnus (attributed) and Roger Bacon use it in natural philosophy.^[3][4][5]
• 1640s – Latin coincidere is used as a verb in English.^[2]
• 1705 – English coincide is first recorded.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. (Medieval Latin) To coincide, fall together into one; to agree.^[3][4][6][7]

Related words

• English coincide

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
3. ^ a b c d Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson