consecratio

Forms

cōnsecrātiō f (genitive cōnsecrātiōnis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin cōnsecrō (“to dedicate, make sacred”) + -tiō.^[2][3][4] De Vaan lists that verb among the derivatives of sacer (“sacred”), which he traces to Proto-Italic *sakro- (“sacred”) and Proto-Indo-European *sh2k-ro- (“sacred”).^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's earliest source is Cicero,^[3] who in the speech De domo sua asks “what was your consecration?”, quae tua fuit cōnsecrātiō?^[2] The sense is a dedication to the gods.^[2][6]

Semantic evolution

Cicero also uses it in laws of devoting a person to a god as a penalty, so that whoever breaks the law is forfeit to the gods.^[2][6] Tacitus and Suetonius use it of the deification of an emperor,^[7][2] and on coins it appears also as consacratio.^[8] The Historia Augusta uses it of a magical incantation.^[7][6]

In Christian Latin it is the consecration of priests and bishops, ordination,^[6][9] and Ambrose uses it of the consecration of the Eucharist.^[6] Medieval Latin has the consecration of altars and churches, and a diocese;^[9][10] English consecration was borrowed in the late 14th century, and Old English had translated it as eallhālgung.^[4]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of the dedication of a house.^[2][3]
• 98–115 AD – Tacitus uses it of the deification of an emperor.^[2][3]
• late 14th century – English borrows consecration.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. The making of something sacred, dedication, consecration.^[2][7]
2. The deification of a person, especially an emperor.^[2][7]
3. The devoting of a person to a god, as a criminal or scapegoat.^[2][6]
4. A magical incantation.^[7][6]
5. (Ecclesiastical Latin) Ordination of a priest or bishop; the consecration of the Eucharist.^[6][9][11]
6. (Medieval Latin) The consecration of an altar or church; a diocese.^[9][10]

Related words

• cōnsecrō
• sacer
• English consecration

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
6. ^ a b c d e f g h Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
7. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
8. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: 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. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson