Etymologically
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consumptio

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Forms

cōnsūmptiō f (genitive cōnsūmptiōnis); third declension[1]

Etymology

It is from cōnsūmō “to use up” with the suffix -tiō.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Gaffiot cites the Rhetorica ad Herennium, “use, employment”.[4] Köbler dates it 86/82 BC; his first source is Cicero.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant use, employment, as in the Rhetorica ad Herennium, and in Cicero's Timaeus a consuming, wasting away.[4][6][2]

In Medieval Latin it meant exhaustion, destruction.[7] British Medieval Latin used it for consumption, using up, and decay.[8] Through Old French it gave English consumption in the late 14th century, first “wasting of the body by disease”.[3]

Timeline

  • 86/82 BC – The Rhetorica ad Herennium uses it.[4][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of wasting.[6][5]
  • late 14th century – English consumption is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A consuming, wasting away.[2]
  2. Use, employment.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  8. ^ 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