formalitas

Forms

fōrmālitās f (genitive fōrmālitātis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin fōrmālis (“formal”) + -tās,^[2][1] from fōrma (“form”).^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is a Medieval Latin word of scholastic philosophy.^[1][3] The MLW's first quotations are from Albertus Magnus (1220–1280), who uses it for the formal nature of a thing.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Thomas Aquinas uses it for what belongs to a form as such and makes up its essence.^[4] In the philosophy of Duns Scotus it became a technical term for the formal determination of a thing, the real basis of a formal distinction.^[5][6] It could also mean simply a form or shape.^[2]

From the 16th century it is also found in the modern sense of a ceremonial or official formality:^[6][7] a formulary of 1539 speaks of observing all the ceremonies and formalities.^[6]

Timeline

• 1220–1280 – Albertus Magnus uses it for the formal nature of a thing.^[2]
• 1252–1274 – Thomas Aquinas uses it in his philosophical works.^[4]
• 1539 – It means a ceremonial formality in a formulary.^[6]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Medieval Latin, philosophy) Formal nature, the essential character of a thing.^[2][6][4]
2. (Medieval Latin, philosophy) In Scotist philosophy, the formal determination of a thing; a formal distinction.^[5][8]
3. (Medieval Latin) Form, shape.^[2]
4. (New Latin) A ceremonial or official formality.^[6][7]

References

1. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
2. ^ a b c d e f Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
3. ^ Jeanneau, Gérard; Woitrain, Jean-Paul; Hassid, Jean-Claude (2017), Dictionnaire latin-français, online ed., prima-elementa.fr
4. ^ a b c Schütz, Ludwig (1895), Thomas-Lexikon, 2nd ed., Paderborn: F. Schöningh
5. ^ a b Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
6. ^ a b c d e f 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
7. ^ a b Ramminger, Johann, Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700, www.neulatein.de
8. ^ Latinitatis medii aevi lexicon Bohemorum / Slovník středověké latiny v českých zemích (1977–), Prague: Academia; electronic version, Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences