constrictivus

Forms

cōnstrictīvus (feminine cōnstrictīva, neuter cōnstrictīvum); first/second-declension adjective^[1][2]

Etymology

It is from Latin cōnstringō (“to bind together”) + -īvus, built on the past participle stem ⟨cōnstrict-⟩.^[3][1][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first author in the TLL is Gargilius Martialis, who says that pears may be counted styptic and astringent, ut pira styptica et cōnstrictīva videantur.^[3][1][5]

Semantic evolution

It is a word of the later medical writers, “having the power to draw together, astringent”.^[3][2] The Herbarius of Pseudo-Apuleius calls plantain more astringent, and Caelius Aurelianus uses it very often of poultices, foods and herb juices,^[3][6] as the opposite of districtīvus.^[1] Cassius Felix and the Latin Oribasius have it too, and Caelius also has the adverb cōnstrictīvē.^[3][2]

Medieval medicine kept it for astringent and binding remedies and foods and for the effect of cold;^[7][8] it was used of the heart's power to contract, and the neuter plural meant astringent medicines.^[8][7] English constrictive is from about 1400,^[4] and Italian costrittivo continues the Late Latin word.^[6]

Timeline

• before 260 AD – Gargilius Martialis calls pears astringent.^[3][1][5]
• end of the 4th century AD – The Herbarius of Pseudo-Apuleius calls plantain more astringent.^[3][5]
• 5th century AD – Caelius Aurelianus uses it very often of foods and remedies.^[2][3][5]
• c. 1400 – English constrictive is first recorded.^[4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (Late Latin, medicine) Drawing together, contracting; astringent, binding.^{[2][1][9][3][7]}
2. (Medieval Latin) Of the heart: contracting, systolic.^[8][7]

Noun

1. (Medieval Latin, neuter plural) Astringent medicines.^[8][7]

Related words

• cōnstrictiō
• English constrictive

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
2. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b 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 Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
8. ^ 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
9. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.