destinatio

Forms

dēstinātiō f (genitive dēstinātiōnis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from dēstinō “to make fast, determine” with the suffix -tiō.^[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Livy, of designation for a purpose.^[2] Köbler dates Livy 59 BC–17 AD.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant designation for a purpose, specification, as in Livy, and in Petronius an intention, purpose, and Pliny the Elder has ex dēstinātiōne Agrippae “by Agrippa's design”.^[2][5] Lewis & Short note it is perhaps not ante-Augustan.^[6]

British Medieval Latin used it for sending, dispatch.^[7] It gave English destination in the 1590s, first “act of appointing, designation”; the sense of a journey's end is later.^[3]

Timeline

• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it.^[2][4]
• before 66 AD – Petronius uses it of intention.^[2][4]
• 1590s – English destination is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. Designation, appointment.^[2]
2. Intention, purpose.^[2]

Related words

• dēstinō
• English destination

References

1. ^ a b 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 Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ 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. ^ 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