concentricus

Forms

concentricus (feminine concentrica, neuter concentricum); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin con- + centrum (“centre”) in Medieval Latin, with an adjectival ending;^[2][3] Köbler derives it from cum¹ (“with”) and centrum.^[2][3] The MLW glosses it with Ancient Greek ὁμόκεντρος (homókentros), “having the same centre”,^[1] and the DMLBS compares Ancient Greek κεντρικός (kentrikós).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The MLW's earliest record is Albertus Magnus (13th century), who in his commentary on the heavens calls a circle concentric with the earth and asks whether the spheres are eccentric or concentric.^[1][2]

Semantic evolution

It was a term of astronomy and geometry: circles or spheres sharing one centre, opposed to excentricus.^[1][5] British writers such as Alexander Neckam and Robert Grosseteste used it of the spheres of the world, and as a masculine noun (with circulus understood) it meant a concentric circle.^[4] In Poland it occurs in Witelo's optics.^[5] Figuratively, a paraphrase of the Creed in Guillaume de Guilevilla's Pilgrimage of Man calls the believer “concentric with the law of God”, that is, in agreement with it.^[6] English concentric (about 1400) came from it through Old French concentrique.^[3]

Timeline

• 13th century – Albertus Magnus uses it of circles and spheres with a common centre.^[1][2]
• c. 1400 – Borrowed into English, through Old French, as concentric.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (astronomy, geometry) Having a common centre; concentric.^[1][4][5]
2. (as masculine noun) A concentric circle.^[4]
3. (figurative) In accord, conformable (with something).^[6]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
2. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
3. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c d 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 c Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
6. ^ a b du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre