discontinuo

Forms

discontinuō (present infinitive discontinuāre, perfect active discontinuāvī, supine discontinuātum); first conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is a medieval formation from Latin dis- + continuō (“to join together, continue”).^[1][2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in Albertus Magnus, meaning to interrupt: he says that the motion of the first heaven is never interrupted or cut off.^[4]

Semantic evolution

Albertus Magnus uses it also of separating something from what completes it and of moving a thing out of its place;^[4] Roger Bacon of the parts of a rarefied body kept apart by pores,^[2] and Thomas Aquinas of bodies made discontinuous with one another, such as the heavenly bodies.^[5] Outside philosophy it meant to stop doing something or to interrupt, as in Hungarian and Bohemian sources.^[6][7][8]

English discontinue comes from it, through Old French.^[3]

Timeline

• 1220–1280 – Albertus Magnus uses it of interrupting motion.^[4]
• 1240–1292 – Roger Bacon uses it of separated parts.^[2]
• 1252–1274 – Thomas Aquinas speaks of the heavenly bodies as discontinuous.^[5]
• late 14th century – English borrows it, through Old French, as discontinuen.^[3]

Meanings

Verb

1. (Medieval Latin) To interrupt, break off.^[4][2][7]
2. (Medieval Latin, philosophy) To separate, make discontinuous.^[4][2][5]
3. (Medieval Latin) To move out of place.^[4]
4. (Medieval Latin) To leave off doing; to discontinue.^[8][1]

Related words

• continuō
• English discontinue

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e 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
3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c d e f Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
5. ^ a b c Schütz, Ludwig (1895), Thomas-Lexikon, 2nd ed., Paderborn: F. Schöningh
6. ^ Bartal, Antal, et al. (1987–), Lexicon Latinitatis Medii Aevi Hungariae, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online ed. ELTE
7. ^ a b Latinitatis medii aevi lexicon Bohemorum / Slovník středověké latiny v českých zemích (1977–), Prague: Academia; electronic version, Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences
8. ^ a b Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl