definio

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [deːˈfiː.ni.oː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [deˈfiː.ni.o]^[1]

Forms

dēfīniō (present infinitive dēfīnīre, perfect active dēfīnīvī, supine dēfīnītum); fourth conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from dē- and fīniō “to bound, limit”, from fīnis “boundary”.^[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citation is Plautus, of settling something.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to fix the limits of, bound, as Cicero's olive trees marking the end of an estate, to limit, restrict, and to put an end to, as in Cicero.^[2][5] It meant to determine, settle, as in Plautus, to ordain for someone, to define, describe exactly, as in Cicero, and to specify.^[2] In law it meant to assert, as in Ulpian, and to lay down a rule.^[2] Lewis and Short call it frequent in Cicero.^[6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to solve, define, determine, limit.^[7] Italian definire and Spanish definir are borrowings.^[1] English define came through Old French in the late 14th century, and English definition from dēfīnītiō.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of settling.^[2][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of boundaries and of definition.^[2][5][4]
• before 223 AD – Ulpian uses it of asserting.^[2][4]
• late 14th century – English define is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Verb

1. To bound, mark the limits of.^[2]
2. To limit, restrict.^[2]
3. To end.^[2]
4. To determine, settle.^[2]
5. To define; to specify.^[2]
6. To assert; to lay down.^[2]

Word family

• dēfīnītiō
• dēfīnītīvus
• dēfīnītor
• indēfīnītus
• dēfīnienter
• dēfīnītē
• dēfīnītus

Related words

• fīniō
• fīnis
• English define
• English definition

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson