diffusio

Forms

diffūsiō f (genitive diffūsiōnis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin diffundō + -tiō, a noun of action from the verb meaning “to pour out, spread widely”.^[2][1][3] The verb is formed from dis- and fundō¹ (“to pour”),^[4] which de Vaan traces to Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰu-n-d- (“to pour”), the root of Ancient Greek χέω (khéō) and Gothic 𐌲𐌹𐌿𐍄𐌰𐌽 (giutan).^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first use is in Seneca's De vita beata, in the phrase diffusio animi, a cheerful openness of mind, paired with comitas “affability”.^[2][6]

Semantic evolution

Seneca's diffusio animi is its only Classical use;^[2][3] the word returns from Arnobius on.^[3] Martianus Capella used it of the spreading of the sea,^[7] and Orosius of the extent of the lands.^[8] In medieval Latin it was a pouring out or spreading of liquids and, in philosophy, the diffusion or emanation of a thing from its source.^[9][10] English borrowed it in the late 14th century as diffusion.^[4]

Timeline

• 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca speaks of diffusio animi, cheerfulness.^[2][6]
• 297–310 AD – Arnobius uses it.^[3][6]
• 417/418 AD – Orosius uses it of the extent of the lands.^[8][6]
• 5th century AD – Martianus Capella uses it of the spreading of the sea.^[7][6]
• late 14th century – English borrows it as diffusion.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. diffūsiō animī: Expansiveness, geniality, cheerfulness.^[2][7]
2. (Late Latin) A spreading out, extent.^[7][8]
3. (Medieval Latin) A pouring out; diffusion, emanation.^[9][10]

Word family

• diffūsīvus

Related words

• English diffusion

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
8. ^ a b c Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
9. ^ a b 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