Etymologically
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digesta

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Forms

dīgesta n pl (genitive dīgestōrum); second declension, plural only[1][2]

Etymology

It is the neuter plural of the past participle from Latin dīgerō (“to distribute, arrange”), used as a noun: “things arranged”.[1][2][3] The name refers to works divided into books and chapters.[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Aulus Gellius uses digesta as the title of legal writings arranged in order.[2][3][4]

Semantic evolution

In the OLD it is an abstract of a body of law set out systematically.[1] It became above all the name of the Pandects, the part of Justinian's law books in which everything is divided into books, titles and paragraphs, as in the Code of Justinian.[2][3]

Tertullian applied the word to the Bible, and in the singular to a gospel: digestum Lucae is the Gospel of Luke.[2][3][5] Sedulius has per digesta for “briefly, in summary”.[5] Italian Digesto continues the name of the law book.[5]

Timeline

  • c. 165 AD – Aulus Gellius uses it as the title of legal works.[2][4]
  • c. 160–220 AD – Tertullian calls the Bible digesta and the Gospel of Luke digestum Lucae.[2][3][4]
  • 528–534 AD – The Code of Justinian uses it for the Pandects.[2][4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A digest: a work arranged in books or chapters, especially a systematic abstract of the law.[1][3]
  2. The Digest or Pandects of Justinian.[2][3]
  3. (Ecclesiastical Latin) The Bible; in the singular, a gospel.[2][3][5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b c d Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier