discerno

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [dɪsˈkɛr.noː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [diʃˈʃɛr.no]^[1]

Forms

discernō (present infinitive discernere, perfect active discrēvī, supine discrētum); third conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin dis- + cernō (“to sift, separate”).^[2][3] Apuleius has a contracted perfect form, ⟨discrerit⟩.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Varro, in his book on farming, says the lambs are fed on milk and then separated again from their mothers.^[2] Köbler dates Varro 116–27 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to separate or set apart, as Sallust speaks of a mountain marking off territories.^[5] Lewis & Short note this literal sense is frequent from the Augustan period.^[6] With the mind or senses it meant to distinguish, as Cicero says someone could not tell his wife from his sister.^[2] It also meant to settle a dispute, as Virgil's boundary stone placed to settle a quarrel over fields.^[2] Döderlein contrasts discernere, to distinguish by judgement, with distinguere, to distinguish by marks.^[7]

In medieval Latin it meant to divide and separate, and also to sift.^[8] English discern is recorded in the late 14th century through Old French discerner, and English discreet comes from its participle discrētus, “discerning, careful” in medieval Latin.^[3]

Timeline

• 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of separating lambs.^[2][4]
• 86–34 BC – Sallust uses it of separating territories.^[5][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of distinguishing.^[2][4]
• late 14th century – English discern is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Verb

1. To separate, divide, set apart.^[2][1]
2. To distinguish, discern.^[2][1]
3. To settle, decide a dispute.^[2][1]

Word family

• discernibilis
• discerniculum
• discrebilis
• discrētim
• discrētiō
• discrētīvus
• discrētor
• discretorium
• indiscrētus
• discernenter
• discrētus
• discrīmen

Related words

• cernō
• concernō
• dēcernō
• excernō
• incernō
• sēcernō
• English discern
• English discreet

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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
8. ^ Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften