existimatio

Forms

exīstimātiō f (genitive exīstimātiōnis); third declension^[1] It is also spelled existumātiō.^[2][3] Late copies also have exestimātiō and exaestimātiō.^[4]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin exīstimō (“to judge, think”) + -tiō.^[2][4][1] De Vaan lists the verb under aestimō (“to value, estimate”), whose origin is uncertain: Havet's derivation from aes (“bronze”) and a noun “cut” is not very credible, and if the word is inherited, de Vaan prefers the root Proto-Indo-European *h₂eis- (“to seek”) of aeruscō (“to beg”).^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Terence, prologue to the Heauton timorumenos: arbitrium vostrum, vostra existimātiō valēbit, “your verdict, your judgement will prevail”.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Existimātiō is first the forming of an opinion, with existimātiō alicuius est, “it is for someone to judge”, and an opinion or judgement, often a favourable one;^[2][3] Varro uses it for public opinion.^[2][3] Above all it is the opinion held of a person, his reputation, good name or credit (Cicero: dum existimātiō est integra, “while his reputation is unharmed”).^[2][1]

Church Latin glosses it “esteem, estimation, judgment”.^[6]

Timeline

• 190–159 BC – Terence: vostra existimātiō valēbit.^[2][7]
• 116–27 BC – Varro of public opinion.^[2][7]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero of reputation.^[2][7]

Meanings

Noun

1. The forming of an opinion; judgement, opinion; public opinion.^[2][1][6]
2. reputation, good name, honour, credit.^[2][1]
3. esteem.^[6]

Related words

• exīstimō
• aestimō

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 h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
5. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
6. ^ a b c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
7. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de