crisis

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈkrɪ.sɪs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈkriː.s̬is]^[1]

Forms

crisis f (genitive crisis or criseōs or crisios); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek κρίσις (krísis, “decision, judgement; turning point”),^[2][1] from κρίνω (krínō, “to separate, decide”).^[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lucilius, in a conjectured reading, uses it of literary judgement, explained as deciding what to take and what not.^[2] Köbler dates Lucilius c. 180–102 BC.^[3]

Semantic evolution

In Seneca it was a critical stage of life, a climacteric: he reports a remark that he and a child had the same crisis, since both were losing their teeth.^[2][5] Lewis & Short treat it as a medical term, a decisive turn.^[6] Caelius Aurelianus speaks of the assaults of nature that the Greeks call crises.^[7]

In medieval Latin it was the turning point of a disease.^[8] English crisis is recorded in the early 15th century as the decisive point of a disease.^[4]

Timeline

• c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius may use it of literary judgement.^[2][3]
• 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca uses it of a critical stage of life.^[2][3]
• 5th century AD – Caelius Aurelianus uses it in medicine.^[7][3]
• early 15th century – English crisis is recorded.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. Literary judgement.^[2]
2. A critical stage of life, a climacteric.^[2]
3. (medicine) The decisive turn of a disease, a crisis.^[6][8]

Related words

• criticus
• English crisis

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
6. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
8. ^ a b Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften