expeditio

Forms

expedītiō f (genitive expedītiōnis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from expediō (“to free, make ready”) with the suffix -tiō.^[2][1][3] De Vaan explains ⟨-pedīre⟩ in this verb from pedēs (“fetters”), from pēs (“foot”); ⟨pēs⟩ is Proto-Italic *pōd-, from Proto-Indo-European *pṓds (“foot”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Naevius, in his poem on the Punic War, has a consul leading part of the army on an expedition.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

It is above all a military term, an operation by troops in light order, an expedition or campaign, as in Caesar's foot and horse sent out in three divisions.^[2][5] Other senses are rare: in Vitruvius the arrangement of farm buildings, and in the Rhetorica ad Herennium a brief account of many things and, as a figure of speech, proof by elimination, when several reasons are listed and all but one rejected.^[2]

Church Latin glosses it “act of dispatching, expedition”.^[6] In medieval sources it is the host called out for a major campaign, the people assembled under arms, and patrol service on horseback.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 235–200 BC – Naevius of a consul's expedition.^[2][3]
• c. 84–c. 25 BC – Vitruvius of the arrangement of farm buildings.^[2][3]
• c. 50 BC – Caesar of troops sent on an expedition.^[5][3]
• early 15th century – Borrowed into English as expedition, “military campaign”.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. A military expedition, campaign.^[2][5][1][6]
2. A plan, arrangement.^[2]
3. (rhetoric) A brief account; proof by elimination.^[2]
4. (Ecclesiastical Latin) A mission.^[1]
5. (Medieval Latin) The host called out for war; the people under arms; mounted patrol service.^[7]

Word family

• expeditionalis

Related words

• expediō
• English expedition

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com