conservatorium

Forms

cōnservātōrium n (genitive cōnservātōriī); second declension^[1][2]

Etymology

It is a Medieval Latin noun, from Medieval Latin cōnservātōrius used as a neuter noun,^[2][3] and goes back to cōnservō (“to keep, preserve”).^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its earliest dated record is a Hungarian charter of 1283, which speaks of letters of the chapter of Pozsony found again in the chapter's conservatorium, a repository for documents.^[4]

Semantic evolution

The word belongs to Medieval Latin and names a place or container for keeping something safe.^[4][2] In Hungary it was above all the repository where charters and other documents were kept, often the sacristy of a church, which could also serve as a treasury for money and valuables;^[4][5] Du Cange records the sense “sacristy” from Hungarian law.^[5] Elsewhere it meant a storehouse, a treasury, a case or box,^[2] and a fishpond where fish were kept alive.^[5][4]

In church law it also named the papal or conciliar letter appointing a conservator, a protector of the rights and privileges of a monastery,^[2][3] and the office of such a protector.^[3]

Timeline

• 1283 – A Hungarian charter mentions letters of the chapter of Pozsony found in its conservatorium.^[4]
• 1353 – Another Hungarian charter speaks of a privilege kept “in our sacristy or conservatorium”.^[4]
• 1374 – A charter cited by Du Cange uses it for a fishpond.^[5]
• 1444 – A Polish record uses it for a storehouse or treasury.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Medieval Latin) A repository for documents, an archive, often the sacristy of a church.^[4][5]
2. (Medieval Latin) A treasury or storehouse.^[4][2]
3. (Medieval Latin) A case, box or chest for keeping something.^[2][3]
4. (Medieval Latin) A fishpond for keeping fish.^[5][4]
5. (Medieval Latin) A salt cellar.^[4]
6. (Medieval Latin, church law) A letter appointing a conservator of a monastery's rights; the office of such a conservator.^[2][3]

References

1. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
3. ^ a b c d e 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
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Bartal, Antal, et al. (1987–), Lexicon Latinitatis Medii Aevi Hungariae, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online ed. ELTE
5. ^ a b c d e f du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre