humiliatio

Forms

humiliātiō f (genitive humiliātiōnis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin humiliō + -tiō,^[2][3][4] the verb being made from humilis (“low, humble”).^[4] Wiktionary derives it directly from the adjective.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lewis and Short call it post-classical and cite it first from Tertullian (c. 160–220 AD),^[2][3] in the sense of a humbling.^[2]

Semantic evolution

In Christian Latin it meant humiliation, abasement and also humility as a virtue: the Vulgate has it in Micah,^[2] and Niermeyer records both the sense of oppression and that of mortification, reducing someone to humility.^[5]

Medieval writers used it of crushing or suppressing rebels, of a downfall or defeat, and of dismay.^[6] In the liturgy it was the laying of the cross and relics on the ground in the rite of imprecation, and a bow.^[7] The Frisian law codes used it for a hollow or dent.^[7]

English took it over as humiliation in the late 14th century, from French or directly from Late Latin.^[4]

Timeline

• c. 160–220 AD – Tertullian uses it for a humbling.^[2][3]
• 390–406 AD – The Vulgate uses it in the book of Micah.^[2][3]
• 11th century – The Frisian law code Decretum Frisionum A uses it of a dent or hollow.^[7][3]
• late 14th century – English borrows it as humiliacioun.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. A humbling, humiliation, abasement.^[2][8][5]
2. (Ecclesiastical Latin) Mortification; humility.^[5]
3. (Medieval Latin) Crushing, suppression; downfall, defeat.^[6]
4. (Medieval Latin, liturgy) The laying of the cross and relics on the ground; a bow.^[7]
5. (Medieval Latin) A hollow, dent.^[7]

Related words

• English humiliation

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
6. ^ a b 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 c d e Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
8. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson