Etymologically
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disturbium

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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