diplomaticus
Pronunciation
- Classical: [dɪ.pɫoːˈma.tɪ.kʊs], [dɪp.ɫoːˈma.tɪ.kʊs][1]
- Ecclesiastical: [di.ploˈmaː.ti.kus], [dip.loˈmaː.ti.kus][1]
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
- Relating to charters or official documents.[3][2]
- (New Latin) Diplomatic, relating to international relations.[1]
Related words
- diplōma
- English diplomatic
References
- ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
- ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de