detentio

Forms

dētentiō f (genitive dētentiōnis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin dētineō (“to hold back, detain”) + -tiō.^[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It first appears in the jurist Ulpian, quoted in the Digest (25.1.5 and 4.6.15), meaning a keeping back or detaining.^[3][4][5] Köbler dates Ulpian to before 223 AD.^[6] The TLL counts another Ulpian passage (Digest 43.25.1.5) as a doubtful reading.^[7]

Semantic evolution

The OLD equates it with dētentātiō, temporary control or possession.^[2] In Late Latin it meant possession: an Old Latin version of Leviticus has it where the Vulgate has possessiōnis, Symmachus wants a wicked tenant driven from his hold on the place, and the Code of Justinian uses it of a just holding.^[7] It also meant retention, and in the Vulgate (Sirach 24.16) a dwelling.^[7][5]

Medieval Latin added the senses of causing delay, custody in prison and denial of justice,^[8] as well as wrongful withholding, possession and property, and even a sediment.^[9] Bracton defines possession as the bodily holding (detentio) of a thing.^[10] In the necrologies of Corbie it seems to mean hospitality.^[11] English detention, first “a withholding”, dates from the mid-15th century.^[12]

Timeline

• before 223 AD – Ulpian uses it of keeping back or detaining.^[3][4][6]
• c. 340–402 AD – Symmachus uses it of a tenant's holding.^[7][6]
• 390–406 AD – The Vulgate uses it for a dwelling.^[7][5][6]
• 1189 – A Canterbury letter tells of a fur that perished from long keeping.^[10]
• mid-15th century – English borrows it as detention.^[12]

Meanings

Noun

1. A keeping back, detaining, retention.^{[3][4][7][13]}
2. (law) Holding, (temporary) possession.^[2][7][14]
3. (Late Latin) A dwelling, abode.^[7][5][14]
4. (Medieval Latin) A causing of delay, hindrance.^[8][9]
5. (Medieval Latin) Custody, imprisonment.^[8][9][15]
6. (Medieval Latin) Wrongful withholding; denial of justice.^[8][9]

Related words

• English detention

Usage notes

In the MLW's sources it is sometimes confused with dētēctiō.^[9]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
5. ^ a b c d Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ a b c d e f g h Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
8. ^ a b c d Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
9. ^ a b c d e Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
10. ^ a b 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
11. ^ du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
12. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
13. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
14. ^ a b Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
15. ^ Bartal, Antal, et al. (1987–), Lexicon Latinitatis Medii Aevi Hungariae, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online ed. ELTE