incessans

Forms

incessāns (genitive incessantis); third-declension adjective^[1][2]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin in-² (“not”) + cessāns (“ceasing”),^[3][2] the present participle of cessō (“to cease, hold back”).^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Caelius Aurelianus uses it in his work on chronic diseases, of an affliction that goes on without pause.^[3][4]

Semantic evolution

It is a Late Latin word meaning unceasing or continual,^[3][2][4] used by Dracontius and Cassiodorus.^[3][2] The medieval dictionaries give the same sense,^[5][6][7] and the MLW also records it used as an adverb, “without interruption”.^[6] English incessant (mid-15th century) is from Old French or directly from this Late Latin word.^[8]

Timeline

• 5th century AD – Caelius Aurelianus uses it of an unceasing affliction.^[3][4][1]
• c. 484 AD – Dracontius uses it in his poem on the praises of God.^[3][4][1]
• c. 485–c. 580 AD – Cassiodorus speaks of an unceasing power.^[2][9][1]
• 1207 – A Polish document speaks of an unceasing struggle.^[10]
• mid-15th century – English borrows it as incessant.^[8]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Unceasing, continual, perpetual.^[3][5][11]
2. (Medieval Latin, as an adverb) Continually, without interruption.^[6]

Word family

• incessanter

Related words

• cesso
• English incessant

Usage notes

The MLW keeps it apart from the present participle of incessō “to attack”.^[6] The adverb is incessanter, found in the Code of Justinian and in Sidonius.^[2]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
2. ^ a b c d e f Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ a b c d Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
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. ^ 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
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
9. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
10. ^ Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
11. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson