diplomaticus

Forms

diplōmaticus (feminine diplōmatica, neuter diplōmaticum); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is a New Latin word,^[2] formed from Latin diplōma (“state letter, official document”) + -icus on the stem ⟨diplōmat-⟩.^[2][3] Wiktionary treats it as an internationalism taken from French diplomatique, analysable within Latin as ⟨diplōma⟩ or diplōmatia with -icus.^[1] Latin ⟨diplōma⟩ is from Ancient Greek δίπλωμα (díplōma, “licence, chart”), originally a paper folded double.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Etymonline dates the New Latin word to the 1680s;^[2] it meant relating to charters and official documents.^[3][2]

Semantic evolution

The word was used in New Latin titles of collections of international treaties, where it referred to the texts themselves; from there it came to be felt as meaning relating to international relations.^[2] English took it over in 1711 as diplomatic “pertaining to official or original documents”, and the sense “concerned with the management of international relations” is recorded in English by 1787.^[2] Modern Latin uses it in this second sense.^[1]

Timeline

• 1680s – The New Latin adjective is recorded.^[2]
• 1711 – English borrows it as diplomatic, of official documents.^[2]
• by 1787 – The English word is used of international relations, a sense that grew out of New Latin titles of treaty collections.^[2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Relating to charters or official documents.^[3][2]
2. (New Latin) Diplomatic, relating to international relations.^[1]

Related words

• diplōma
• English diplomatic

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
3. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de