dioecesanus

Forms

dioecēsānus (feminine dioecēsāna, neuter dioecēsānum); first/second-declension adjective^[1] Medieval spellings include diocēsānus, diocesianus and dyocesanus.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin dioecēsis + -ānus.^[1][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates its first record to the Theodosian Code of 438;^[2] the TLL cites it from the interpretation of a law of 376 in the Code, where the bishop calls together the priests of his diocese.^[5]

Semantic evolution

Isidore of Seville has it of the churches of a diocese.^[5] In Medieval Latin it meant “diocesan” and “situated in a given diocese”, and as a noun a suffragan bishop in relation to his metropolitan, the bishop who governs a diocese, and in the plural the faithful of a diocese.^[4] British writers speak of diocesan law and of the episcopus dioecesanus;^[6] Du Cange cites the diocesan bishop from a synod at Bergamo in 1311,^[7] and Hungarian documents use it from the 13th century.^[3]

English diocesan came from Old French and directly from Medieval Latin in the mid-15th century.^[8]

Timeline

• 438 – It appears in the Theodosian Code, in the interpretation of a law of 376.^[2][5]
• c. 560–636 – Isidore of Seville writes of diocesan churches.^[5][2]
• c. 1239 – Grosseteste's letters speak of those subject to a bishop by diocesan law.^[6]
• 1311 – A synod at Bergamo uses it of the diocesan bishop.^[7]
• mid-15th century – English borrows it as diocesan.^[8]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of or belonging to a diocese, diocesan.^{[5][9][4][10][6]}
2. (Medieval Latin) Situated in a given diocese.^[4]

Noun

1. (Medieval Latin) A suffragan bishop, in relation to his metropolitan.^[4]
2. (Medieval Latin) The bishop of a diocese, the ordinary.^[4][7][3]
3. (Medieval Latin, plural) The faithful of a diocese.^[4]

Related words

• English diocesan

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
3. ^ a b c Bartal, Antal, et al. (1987–), Lexicon Latinitatis Medii Aevi Hungariae, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online ed. ELTE
4. ^ a b c d e f g Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
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. ^ a b c 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 du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
9. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
10. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson