imperfectio

Forms

imperfectiō f (genitive imperfectiōnis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

Wiktionary analyses it as from Latin in-² + perfectiō (“completion, perfection”).^[1] Lewis & Short and Köbler derive it from the adjective imperfectus (“unfinished”).^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLL's earliest instance is in the Latin translation of Irenaeus, which speaks of the imperfection and weakness of the Corinthians.^[4] The first dated author is Augustine, who uses it for an imperfect state, opposed to perfection.^[4][2][3]

Semantic evolution

In Late Latin it meant an imperfect or unfinished state, of people, of things and of created matter, and in the dispute over the nature of Christ also of God.^[4] Medieval Latin used it for incompleteness or a defect,^[5][6] and in charters and letters also for neglect of a duty, a badly devised arrangement, or disorder.^[6] English imperfection (late 14th century) comes from Old French imperfeccion and directly from the Late Latin word.^[7]

Timeline

• 354–430 AD – Augustine uses it for an imperfect state.^[4][2][3]
• late 14th century – English borrows it as imperfeccioun.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Late Latin) Imperfection, an unfinished or incomplete state.^[2][4][5]
2. (Medieval Latin) A defect, fault.^[6][8]
3. (Medieval Latin) Neglect; disorder.^[6]

Related words

• English imperfection

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c d e Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
5. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
6. ^ a b c d Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
8. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson