Etymologically
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discerno

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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
  • 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