dynastia

Forms

dynastīa f (genitive dynastīae); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek δυναστεία (dunasteía, “lordship, dominion, power”).^[1][2][3][4] The Greek noun comes from δυνάστης (dunástēs, “ruler, lord”), from δύναμαι (dúnamai, “to be able, have power”),^[1][4] whose origin Etymonline calls unknown.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLL's first instance is Jerome's Chronicle, which counts the Egyptian ruling houses: Jerome explains that among the Egyptians each potestās is called a dynastia.^[3] Köbler names Cicero as its first source.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Late Latin used it for the successive ruling houses of Egypt in the chronicles: Gregory of Tours takes it from Jerome, and Polemius Silvius has it too.^[3] In Medieval Latin it meant rule or supreme power: a chronicle, under the year 1215, speaks of the time when the Franks or the Germans gained the dynastia of the empire,^[5] and Bacon's Greek grammar glosses it as supreme power.^[6] Burchard of Ursberg repeats that the Egyptians had no kings but powers that they called dynastiae,^[5] and Gervase of Tilbury writes that the dynasties changed through different lines of kings down to Cambyses.^[6] Niermeyer gives the sense “dynasty”,^[7] and a Hungarian chronicle uses it of the royal house of the Huns.^[8] A Bohemian dictionary also records it for the right to elect the emperor.^[9]

English used dynastia from the late 14th century and dynasty from the mid-15th.^[4]

Timeline

• c. 383–419/420 AD – Jerome uses it of the ruling houses of Egypt.^[3][2]
• c. 448/449 AD – Polemius Silvius uses it in his chronicle.^[3][2]
• 538/539–594 AD – Gregory of Tours takes it from Jerome.^[3][2]
• 1209–1214 – Gervase of Tilbury writes of the dynasties down to Cambyses.^[6][2]
• 1229–1230 – Burchard of Ursberg uses it of the powers of Egypt.^[5][2]
• late 14th century – English dynastia is recorded.^[4]
• mid-15th century – English dynasty is recorded.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Late Latin) Rule, dominion; one of the successive ruling houses of Egypt.^[3][1][5]
2. (Medieval Latin) Supreme power.^[6][9]
3. (Medieval Latin, New Latin) A dynasty, royal house.^[7][1][6][8]
4. (Medieval Latin) The right to elect the emperor.^[9]

Related words

• English dynasty

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
3. ^ a b c d e f g Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
6. ^ 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
7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ a b Bartal, Antal, et al. (1987–), Lexicon Latinitatis Medii Aevi Hungariae, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online ed. ELTE
9. ^ a b c 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