complicatio

Forms

complicātiō f (genitive complicātiōnis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin complicō (“to fold together”) + -tiō.^[1][2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first source is Augustine,^[4] who in his work on music uses it for multiplication (denaria complicatio, multiplication by ten).^[5][2]

Semantic evolution

Caelius Aurelianus, a medical writer, uses it for a folding together or rolling up.^[5][2] Verecundus has it figuratively for confusion or disturbance of the mind.^[2][6]

Medieval Latin kept the senses of confusion and multiplication^[6] and added others: a bend or fold (Albertus Magnus of a falcon's wings), an intertwining, in philosophy a connection or union, and in medicine the mixture of the humours, a complexion.^[7] British sources have it for a fitting together and, figuratively, for involvement.^[8] English borrowed it in the early 15th century as complication.^[3]

Timeline

• 354–430 AD – Augustine uses it for multiplication.^[5][4]
• 5th century AD – Caelius Aurelianus uses it for a folding together.^[5][4]
• early 15th century – English borrows it as complication.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Late Latin) A folding together, rolling up.^[5][2]
2. (Late Latin) Multiplication.^[5][1]
3. (Late Latin) Confusion, disturbance.^[2][6]
4. (Medieval Latin) A bend or fold; an intertwining.^[7]
5. (Medieval Latin, philosophy) A connection, union.^[7]
6. (Medieval Latin, medicine) The mixture of the humours, complexion.^[7]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c d e f Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ a b c d Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
8. ^ 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