Etymologically
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expeditio

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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

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