deviatio

Forms

dēviātiō f (genitive dēviātiōnis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin dēviō (“to turn aside, deviate”) + -tiō.^[1][2][3] Etymonline traces dēviō to the phrase ⟨de via⟩, from dē (“off, away”) and via (“way”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

John Cassian, about 360–435 AD, uses it for the doctrinal error of the Pelagian Leporius, whose correction should be known where his straying had been.^[2][3][5]

Semantic evolution

In Late Latin it meant straying, chiefly from orthodox belief.^[2][5][6] Medieval writers used it for any divergence from a straight line or course, in geometry, astronomy and natural science, and also for a sin or offence, or a slip or oversight.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 360–435 AD – John Cassian uses it for a doctrinal error.^[2][3]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Late Latin) Straying, error, departure from orthodoxy.^[2][5][6]
2. (Medieval Latin) Deviation, divergence from a line or course.^[7][1]
3. (Medieval Latin) A sin, offence.^[7]
4. (Medieval Latin) A slip, oversight.^[7]
5. Evasion, avoidance.^[1]

Related words

• deviator
• English deviation

References

1. ^ a b c d e f 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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ a b c d Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften