diversificatio

Forms

dīversificātiō f (genitive dīversificātiōnis); third declension^[1][2]

Etymology

It is from Medieval Latin dīversificō (“to make different, vary”), a medieval Latin noun of action.^[1][2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Maurus of Salerno, in his treatise on urine, in the second half of the 12th century, uses it of the distinction of the colours of urine.^[2][1]

Semantic evolution

In scholastic and scientific writing it meant a distinction or difference, as in Albertus Magnus on the vertebrae of a scorpion's tail, and more loosely a kind or manner: John of Afflighem says there are as many ways of singing as there are masters.^[2] British writers used it for differentiation and variation,^[4] and it appears in Hungarian, Polish and Czech medieval Latin for difference or variety.^[5][3][6]

Timeline

• second half of the 12th century – Maurus of Salerno uses it of the colours of urine.^[2][1]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Medieval Latin) A distinction, differentiation.^[2][4]
2. (Medieval Latin) Difference, diversity, variety.^[2][5][3]
3. (Medieval Latin) A kind, manner.^[2]

References

1. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
3. ^ a b c Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
4. ^ a b 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
5. ^ a b Bartal, Antal, et al. (1987–), Lexicon Latinitatis Medii Aevi Hungariae, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online ed. ELTE
6. ^ 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