condescensio

Forms

condēscēnsiō f (genitive condēscēnsiōnis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin condēscendō (“to come down, stoop to”) + -tiō.^[1][2][3] The verb is built on dēscendō (“to go down”), a compound of scandō (“to climb”),^[4] which goes back to Proto-Italic *skand-e/o- (“to ascend”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is a Late and Christian word.^[5][3] The earliest record in the Thesaurus is in a historical fragment of Hilary of Poitiers (c. 315–367/368 AD), on the refutation of the Council of Ariminum.^[2][6]

Semantic evolution

Filastrius spoke of humility, goodness and condescensio towards human frailty,^[2] and the Code of Justinian used it of the stooping of Jesus Christ to humanity.^[5] In the Dialogues of Saint Gregory it means affability.^[7]

Medieval Latin kept the literal sense of going down, of a migration down into Egypt and of the sun's descent into autumn,^[8] but mostly used it for indulgence and condescension,^[9][8][10] compassion,^[8] and agreement or approval.^[9] Charters used it for the handing over of property,^[11][12] and in Hungary it was a legal and military term: the quartering of troops, a transfer, and the dropping of a lawsuit.^[13][11] English condescension (1640s) comes from the Late Latin word.^[14]

Timeline

• c. 315–367/368 AD – Hilary of Poitiers uses it in a historical fragment.^[2][6]
• last third of the 4th century AD – Filastrius speaks of condescension towards human frailty.^[2][6]
• 1325 – A charter of Count Hermann uses it for the conveyance of fiefs.^[11]
• 1640s – English borrows it as condescension.^[14]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Late Latin) Condescension, gracious stooping to others; indulgence, affability.^[5][3][7][9]
2. (Medieval Latin) Compassion, mercy.^[8]
3. (Medieval Latin) Agreement, approval; compliance with a request.^[9][10]
4. (Medieval Latin) A going down, descent.^[8]
5. (Medieval Latin, law) Conveyance or transfer of property.^[11][12]
6. (Medieval Latin, Hungary) The billeting of troops; the dropping of a suit.^[13][11]

Related words

• dēscendō
• English condescension

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
3. ^ a b c Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
4. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
8. ^ a b c d e Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
9. ^ a b c d Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
10. ^ a b 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
11. ^ a b c d e du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
12. ^ a b 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
13. ^ a b Bartal, Antal, et al. (1987–), Lexicon Latinitatis Medii Aevi Hungariae, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online ed. ELTE
14. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com