diffamatio

Forms

diffāmātiō f (genitive diffāmātiōnis); third declension^[1][2] Medieval texts also spell it defamatio.^[3][4]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin diffāmō (“to spread abroad, publish”) + -tiō.^[1][5][2] The verb is made of dis- and fāma (“report, rumour”) with a verbal suffix.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first author to use it is Zeno of Verona, meaning the spreading or making public of something.^[5]

Semantic evolution

In Late Latin it meant a publishing or spreading abroad: Augustine uses it of the reception and spreading of the Christian religion.^[1][5][2] Medieval writers kept this neutral sense,^[7] but the usual medieval meaning was the spreading of an evil report: defamation, slander.^[7][4][8][9] British sources also use it for an accusation.^[4]

English defamation comes from it, partly through Old French,^[10] and so does Italian diffamazione.^[11]

Timeline

• before 380 AD – Zeno of Verona uses it of making something public.^[5][3]
• 354–430 – Augustine speaks of the spreading of the Christian religion.^[1][5][3]
• 1231 – A British record uses it of a case of defamation in a church court.^[4]
• c. 1300 – English has defamation, partly through Old French.^[10]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Late Latin) A publishing, spreading abroad.^[1][5][2]
2. (Medieval Latin) Defamation, slander, ill report.^[4][7][8][9]
3. (Medieval Latin) An accusation.^[4]

Related words

• diffāmō
• fāma
• English defamation

References

1. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
2. ^ a b c d Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
3. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c d e f 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
5. ^ a b c d e f Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
6. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
7. ^ a b c Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
8. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
9. ^ a b du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
10. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
11. ^ Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier