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disturbium

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word disturbium

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1000
Ultimate origin
Latin disturbō
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin turbo
Latin disturbo
Italian disturbare
Latin disturbium
From the same root
Latin conturbo ← turbo
Latin deturbo ← turbo
Latin exturbo ← turbo
Latin obturbo ← turbo
Latin perturbo ← turbo
Latin proturbo ← turbo

Forms

disturbium n (genitive disturbiī); second declension[1] Variant forms include disturbum[2][3] and desturbium.[3]

Etymology

It is from Latin disturbō (“to throw into disorder”).[1][3][4] The DMLBS compares Anglo-Norman desturbe and Old French destorbe,[5] and the GMLC Catalan destorb.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its earliest dated example in the GMLC is a Catalan document of 1000, in which Count Ermengaud promises to cause no hindrance to the cleric Ermengaud over his ordination to the bishopric of Urgell.[4]

Semantic evolution

Du Cange explains it as interruption or hindrance.[2] From the 11th century it meant disturbance, unrest and strife: a Trier text of 1072 speaks of the long disturbances of wars,[1] and Cosmas of Prague of hoping for peace in the kingdom once the disturbance ceased.[2] It is common in this sense in Hungarian, Polish and Czech sources, of the troubles of a kingdom;[6][7][8] Czech sources also use it for trouble, hardship and bad weather.[8]

In Britain the DMLBS cites it from a letter of Peckham of 1284.[5] Benvenuto uses it in his commentary on Dante, and a later commentator explains Dante's Italian storpio with it.[9]

Timeline

  • 1000 – A Catalan document uses it of a hindrance.[4]
  • 1072 – A Trier text speaks of the long disturbances of wars.[1][3]
  • 1110–1125 – Cosmas of Prague hopes for peace once the disturbance ends.[2][3]
  • 1284 – Peckham uses it in a letter.[5]
  • 1315 – A Polish document speaks of the disturbances of the land of Poland.[7]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (Medieval Latin) Hindrance, obstacle.[4][2]
  2. (Medieval Latin) Disturbance, unrest, tumult.[1][5][6][8][7]
  3. (Medieval Latin) Dissension, quarrel.[1][8][7]
  4. (Medieval Latin) Damage, trouble, misfortune.[7][8]
  5. (Medieval Latin) Bad weather.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  2. ^ a b c d e du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
  3. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ a b c d e Glossarium Mediae Latinitatis Cataloniae (1960–; online ed. 2025), Barcelona: CSIC / Institució Milà i Fontanals, gmlc.imf.csic.es
  5. ^ a b c d 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
  6. ^ a b Bartal, Antal, et al. (1987–), Lexicon Latinitatis Medii Aevi Hungariae, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online ed. ELTE
  7. ^ a b c d e Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
  8. ^ a b c d e f 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
  9. ^ Ramminger, Johann, Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700, www.neulatein.de
Cite this entry

“Disturbium.” Etymologically, 24 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/disturbium. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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