fundamentalis

Forms

fundāmentālis (neuter fundāmentāle); third-declension two-termination adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin fundāmentum (“foundation”) + -ālis.^[2][3][4] ⟨Fundāmentum⟩ is from fundō² (“to lay the bottom of, found”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Augustine, whom Köbler dates 354–430, speaks in a sermon of lapis ille fundāmentālis, “that foundation stone”.^[5][6][4] A commentary on Job attributed to Jerome says the stone, Christ, is not only a foundation stone but also a cornerstone.^[5][7]

Semantic evolution

In Late Latin it meant belonging to the foundation, chiefly in lapis fundāmentālis, a foundation stone, used figuratively of Christ;^[5][2][8] Sidonius has the adverb fundāmentāliter for “utterly, from the ground up”.^[5] Ecclesiastical Latin uses it for fundamental, basic.^[9]

In Medieval Latin Albertus Magnus uses it in philosophy for an elementary principle, and an anatomical treatise uses it of what forms the base.^[10] A British text of about 1240 speaks of stones fit to be laid in a foundation and bear the building, and compares the books of the Apostles to such stones.^[11] A Hungarian source of 1425/1426 uses the neuter plural for the foundations of a tower.^[12] English fundamental was modelled on it in the mid-15th century.^[13]

Timeline

• 354–430 – Augustine speaks of a foundation stone, lapis fundāmentālis.^[5][6][4]
• c. 431–486 – Sidonius uses the adverb fundāmentāliter, utterly.^[5][4]
• 13th century – Albertus Magnus uses it for an elementary principle.^[10][4]
• c. 1240 – A British text speaks of foundation stones fit to bear a building.^[11]
• 1425/1426 – A Hungarian source uses the neuter plural for the foundations of a tower.^[12]
• mid-15th century – English fundamental is modelled on it.^[13]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of or belonging to a foundation;^[5][2][6] lapis fundāmentālis, a foundation stone.^[5][2][6]
2. (Ecclesiastical Latin) fundamental, basic.^[9]
3. (Medieval Latin) Elementary, serving as a first principle.^[10]
4. (Medieval Latin) Forming the base, serving as a foundation; in the neuter plural, the foundations of a building.^[10][11][12]

Related words

• English fundamental

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
3. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
4. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c d e f g h Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
6. ^ a b c d Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
7. ^ Jeanneau, Gérard; Woitrain, Jean-Paul; Hassid, Jean-Claude (2017), Dictionnaire latin-français, online ed., prima-elementa.fr
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
9. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
10. ^ a b c d Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
11. ^ a b c 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
12. ^ a b c Bartal, Antal, et al. (1987–), Lexicon Latinitatis Medii Aevi Hungariae, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online ed. ELTE
13. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com