discernibilis

Forms

discernibilis (neuter discernibile); third-declension two-termination adjective^[1][2]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin discernō (“to separate, distinguish”) + -bilis.^[1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its earliest record is in Marius Victorinus, in the first half of the 4th century AD,^[4] in a sense close to “knowable”.^[3] Augustine (354–430 AD)^[4] uses it in the Enchiridion of the risen body, in which each person's own features and a discernibilis similitudo, a recognisable likeness, will be kept.^[3][1]

Semantic evolution

It is a rare word of Christian Latin meaning “that can be distinguished”.^[1][5] British medieval Latin kept the sense “distinguishable”, said for instance of the design of a coin.^[6]

Timeline

• first half of the 4th century AD – Marius Victorinus uses it in the sense “knowable”.^[3][4]
• 354–430 AD – Augustine uses it of the recognisable likeness of the risen body.^[3][4]
• 13th century – Albertus Magnus uses it.^[4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (Late Latin) That can be distinguished, discernible.^[1][3][6]
2. (Late Latin) That can be known.^[3]

Related words

• English discernible

References

1. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
2. ^ Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
3. ^ a b c d e f g Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
6. ^ 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