Etymologically
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destinatio

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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]

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