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eventualis

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word eventualis

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1464
Ultimate origin
Latin ēveniō
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin eventus
Italian evento
Latin eventualis

Forms

ēventuālis (neuter ēventuāle); third-declension adjective[1][2]

Etymology

It is from Latin ēventus (“occurrence, outcome”), an adjective formed in Medieval Latin;[1][2] Köbler refers it to ēveniō (“to come out, happen”).[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

A Polish court record of 1464 uses it of chance damage, asking that the church buildings not be lost “per voraginem ignis aut casum eventualem” (through the blaze of fire or an accidental mishap).[1]

Semantic evolution

Köbler glosses it as “accidental”, and with a query also “perilous”, and lists Middle Low German words that render it.[2]

Timeline

  • 1464 – A Polish court record speaks of a casus eventualis, an accidental mishap.[1]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. (Medieval Latin) That may happen, possible; accidental.[1][2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
  2. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
Cite this entry

“Eventualis.” Etymologically, 25 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/eventualis. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·