exorcista

Forms

exorcista m (genitive exorcistae); first declension^[1] Christian inscriptions also spell it with ⟨exh-⟩, ⟨exs-⟩ or ⟨exurc-⟩.^[2] Medieval spellings include exorzista and exorcysta.^[3][4]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ἐξορκιστής (exorkistḗs, “exorcist”),^[1][5][6][4] the agent noun of ἐξορκίζω (exorkízō, “to make someone swear; to drive out by conjuration”),^[3] which is formed with ἐξ (ex, “out”) on ὅρκος (hórkos, “oath”).^[3] Etymonline describes the Greek source as Ecclesiastical Greek.^[7]

Isidore of Seville noted that the Greek name is rendered in Latin by adiūrantēs (“those who adjure”) or increpantēs (“those who rebuke”).^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The earliest author the dictionaries cite for it is Cyprian (c. 200–258 AD), in his letters,^[8][2][3] where it names an exorcist.^[8]

Semantic evolution

In the 4th century Firmicus Maternus has it in his astrological Mathesis,^[6][5][3] and the Vulgate uses it in the Acts of the Apostles (19:13).^[5] It also appears in the Code of Justinian.^[5][6]

In the Church the exorcist became a grade of the clergy: the Tironian notes list the word between subdeacon and acolyte,^[2] and in medieval Latin it is the third of the minor orders.^[9][4][10] Aldhelm uses it in this sense in Britain,^[10] and a glossary explains it by adiūrāns, “one who adjures”.^[10] Old High German glosses render it with biswerari.^[3] English borrowed it in the late 14th century.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 200–258 AD – Cyprian uses it in his letters.^[8][2][3]
• 334/337 AD – Firmicus Maternus has it in the Mathesis.^[6][3]
• 390–406 AD – The Vulgate uses it in Acts 19:13.^[5][3]
• 536–c. 610 AD – Venantius Fortunatus uses it in a poem.^[6][3]
• c. 560–636 AD – Isidore of Seville explains the Greek name by Latin adiūrantēs and increpantēs.^[2][3]
• 639–709 AD – Aldhelm uses it for a cleric of the third grade of holy orders.^[10][3]
• late 14th century – Borrowed into English as exorcist.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. An exorcist, one who drives out demons by adjuration.^[5][6][4]
2. (Ecclesiastical Latin) A cleric of the third of the minor orders.^{[9][4][10][11]}

Related words

• exorcismus
• English exorcist

Usage notes

Stelten also records a second-declension form exorcistus.^[11]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c d e Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
5. ^ a b c d e f Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c d e f Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
7. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
8. ^ a b c Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
9. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
10. ^ 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
11. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson