devolutio

Forms

dēvolūtiō f (genitive dēvolūtiōnis); third declension.^[1][2]

Etymology

It is from Latin dēvolvō (“to roll down”) + -tiō.^[3][4] The verb is formed from dē- and volvō (“to roll”),^[4] which goes back to Proto-Italic *welu-e/o- and Proto-Indo-European *uel-u- (“to wind”).^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Rufinus, about 345–411/412 AD, uses it in his translation of Origen's On First Principles for the falling away of minds from their former state.^[3][4][1]

Semantic evolution

Its Late Latin sense was decline or corruption.^[3][1][6] In medieval documents it meant the course or lapse of time,^[7][6][8] and above all the passing of property or rights to another: transfer, conveyance, inheritance,^[7][6] and by metonymy the inherited estate.^[7] Du Cange describes the right of devolution under which a benefice passed to a higher authority,^[9] and in Polish legal texts it also meant the referral of a dispute to a court.^[8] Conte gives Late Latin devolutio as the source of Italian devoluzione.^[2]

Timeline

• c. 345–411/412 AD – Rufinus uses it for a falling away.^[3][4]
• 1222 – A charter uses it of the long course of time.^[7]
• 1245 – A Tyrolean charter uses it of the transfer of a tithe.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Late Latin) Decline, corruption, falling away.^[3][1][2]
2. (Medieval Latin) Course, passage (of time).^[7][6][8]
3. (Medieval Latin) Transfer, devolution or inheritance of property or rights.^[7][6]
4. (Medieval Latin) Property so transferred; an inheritance.^[7]
5. (Medieval Latin, law) The referral of a dispute to a court.^[8]

Related words

• English devolution

References

1. ^ a b c d Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
2. ^ a b c Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
3. ^ a b c d e Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
6. ^ a b c d e 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
7. ^ a b c d e f g h Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
8. ^ a b c d Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
9. ^ du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre