divisivus

Forms

dīvīsīvus (feminine dīvīsīva, neuter dīvīsīvum); first/second-declension adjective^[1][2]

Etymology

It is from Latin dīvidō (“to separate, divide”), formed on its participle stem ⟨dīvīs-⟩.^[2][1] De Vaan traces the verb to Proto-Italic *dis-wi-þ-e/o- and Proto-Indo-European *(d)ui-dʰh₁- (“to separate, distinguish”), a verb that lost its initial /d/ by dissimilation and was then reinforced with dis-.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates its first use to Boethius in the first quarter of the 6th century AD;^[2] Gaffiot cites his translation of Aristotle's Topics for the sense “serving to divide, used in division”.^[1]

Semantic evolution

The word stayed rare in Late Latin and became a technical term of medieval philosophy and logic.^[4][2] The MLW records it for what divides or separates, in philosophy, natural science and medicine, and in logic and rhetoric for what arranges or classifies; it also meant “divisible” and “different”, and as a neuter noun it named a disjunctive proposition.^[4] Albertus Magnus used it to render the Greek διαιρετική of Pseudo-Dionysius.^[4]

In scholastic Latin it formed terms such as differentia divisiva (a difference that divides a genus), propositio divisiva and syllogismus divisivus.^[5] British writers used it for what is distinctive, analytical or classificatory and for what delimits.^[6] In Polish medieval Latin it also named a sign of mensural music, the punctum divisivum, that separates notes which would otherwise belong together.^[7]

Timeline

• early 6th century AD – Boethius uses it in his Aristotelian logic.^[2][1]
• 13th century – Albertus Magnus uses it for a cause that divides life, translating Greek διαιρετική.^[4][2]
• 1259–1265 – Thomas Aquinas uses it in the Summa contra Gentiles, and in terms such as differentia divisiva.^[5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Serving to divide, dividing, separating.^[1][4]
2. (Medieval Latin, logic) Distinguishing, classificatory: differentia divisiva, a difference that divides a genus into species.^[5][6][4]
3. (Medieval Latin) divisible.^[4][8]
4. (Medieval Latin) Different, distinct.^[4]
5. (Medieval Latin, music) In punctum divisivum, a dot separating notes in mensural notation.^[7]
6. (Medieval Latin, logic, as a neuter noun) A disjunctive proposition, an alternative.^[4]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
2. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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. ^ 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
7. ^ a b Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
8. ^ 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