Etymologically
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departio

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [deːˈpar.ti.oː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [deˈpar.t͡si.o][1]

Forms

dēpartiō (present infinitive dēpartīre, perfect active dēpartīvī, supine dēpartītum); fourth conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin dē- + partiō (“to share, divide”).[1][2][3] Its Romance descendants include Old French departir, Italian dipartire and Spanish departir.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Boethius has it in his translation of Aristotle's Posterior Analytics, of dividing a genus into its indivisible species,[2][4] and a glossary equates it with Ancient Greek καταμερίζω (katamerízō, “to distribute”).[4]

Semantic evolution

In Late Latin it meant “to divide”.[1][2] Medieval writers used it for distributing and apportioning: the deeds of the abbots of Lobbes blame an abbot for handing out the abbey's lands, churches and tithes.[5][6] British sources also have it for dissipating, for a parliament being dissolved and for leaving an office,[6] and its participle for particoloured cloth.[6]

Old French departir meant “to divide, distribute; to separate, go away; to die”, and gave English depart.[3]

Timeline

  • Late Latin – Boethius, “to divide”.[2][4]
  • mid-13th century – English depart, through Old French.[3]
  • 1421 – A will uses the participle for a particoloured vestment.[6]

Meanings

Verb

  1. (Late Latin) To divide.[2][4][1]
  2. (Medieval Latin) To distribute, apportion; to dissipate.[5][6]
  3. (Medieval Latin) In the perfect participle: particoloured.[6]
  4. (Medieval Latin) To dissolve (a parliament); to depart, retire.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  5. ^ a b Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  6. ^ a b c d e f g 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