Etymologically
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conservatio

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [kõː.sɛrˈwaː.ti.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [kon.serˈvat.t͡si.o][1]

Forms

cōnservātiō f (genitive cōnservātiōnis); third declension[1]

Etymology

It is from cōnservō “to preserve” with the suffix -tiō.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from the Rhetorica ad Herennium, of preservation.[2] Köbler's first source is Cicero; he dates the Rhetorica 86/82 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant keeping safe, preservation, as Cicero's cōnservātiō frūgum “the storing of crops” and the safety of persons, and Lewis and Short say it is found several times in Cicero, elsewhere very rarely.[2][5][6] It meant the preservation of a state or condition, and the observance, maintenance of duties or order, as in Cicero.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant conservation, keeping, preserving.[7] British Medieval Latin used it of storage, of the conservancy of a river, and of keeping the peace.[8] English conservation came in the late 14th century, first “preservation of health”.[9]

Timeline

  • 86/82 BC – The Rhetorica ad Herennium uses it of preservation.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of storing crops and of observance.[2][6][4]
  • late 14th century – English conservation is recorded.[9]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Preservation, keeping safe; storing.[2][6]
  2. Observance, maintenance.[2]
  3. (Medieval Latin) Conservancy of a river.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  8. ^ 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
  9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com