excessivus

Forms

excessīvus (feminine excessīva, neuter excessīvum); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is formed in Medieval Latin, from Latin excēdō (“to go beyond, surpass”) + -īvus,^[1] on the stem of the past participle ⟨excess-⟩.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found in the 13th century in Albertus Magnus, meaning immoderate, excessive, also as a noun for an intemperate person.^[3][4]

Semantic evolution

British writers used it of anything very great: a long famine, a sudden cold winter, a large number of soldiers, a great weight.^[5] The adverb excessīvē meant “excessively” and, in Albertus Magnus, “by way of excess”.^[3] The French form excessif passed into English as excessive in the late 14th century.^[2][1]

Timeline

• 13th century – Albertus Magnus uses it of intemperate people.^[3][4]
• late 14th century – English borrows excessive from Old French.^[2]
• 1388 – A British record speaks of an excessive weight.^[5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (Medieval Latin) Excessive, immoderate.^[6][3][5]
2. (Medieval Latin) Very great (of a force of nature, a number, a weight).^[5]

Related words

• English excessive

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
3. ^ a b c d Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
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. ^ Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill