Etymologically
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flexibilitas

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [fɫɛk.sɪˈbɪ.lɪ.taːs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [fleɡ.ziˈbiː.li.tas][1]

Forms

flexibilitās f (genitive flexibilitātis); third declension[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin flexibilis (“flexible, pliant”) + -tās.[1][2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Solinus is its first author: he says that the bulls of India turn their horns about with whatever flexibility they wish.[2][4][5][6] Isidore of Seville later repeats the passage.[2]

Semantic evolution

Late writers used it of bodies and of the mind or nature.[2][7] Cassiodorus writes of athletes who wrestle with the suppleness of their oiled bodies;[2][5] Augustine asks where a certain fragility or flexibility in a nature comes from;[2][5] and Venantius Fortunatus says that Hilary gave a stiff tongue flexibility and ease of speech.[2]

Medieval writers kept the physical sense: Albertus Magnus explains that a leaden rule adapts to the shape of any stone by its flexibility,[8] and William of Malmesbury and Gerald of Wales use it of limbs.[9] It was used of the voice in singing,[8][9] and figuratively of changeableness, especially of the free will, which can turn to good or to evil;[8][9][10] the Hungarian and Polish sources also have the sense of fickleness and inconstancy.[11][10] English flexibility came from it in the 1610s, of physical things, perhaps through French.[12]

Timeline

  • 1st half of the 3rd century AD – Solinus uses it of the horns of Indian bulls.[2][4][3]
  • 354–430 AD – Augustine uses it of a nature, beside fragility.[2][3]
  • c. 485–c. 580 AD – Cassiodorus writes of the oiled bodies of athletes.[2][3]
  • 536–c. 610 AD – Venantius Fortunatus uses it of the tongue and the voice.[2][3]
  • 13th century – Albertus Magnus uses it of a leaden rule and of the free will.[8][3]
  • 1610s – English borrows flexibility.[12]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (Late Latin) Flexibility, pliancy, suppleness.[4][5][2][1]
  2. (Medieval Latin) Flexibility of the voice in singing.[8][9]
  3. (Medieval Latin) Changeableness, inconstancy; readiness to change or err.[8][9][11][10]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  3. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  8. ^ a b c d e f Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  9. ^ 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
  10. ^ a b c Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
  11. ^ a b Bartal, Antal, et al. (1987–), Lexicon Latinitatis Medii Aevi Hungariae, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online ed. ELTE
  12. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com