infestatio

Forms

infestātiō f (genitive infestātiōnis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin īnfēstō (“to attack, molest”) + -tiō,^[1][2] the verb being from Latin infestus (“hostile”).^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLL records it from Frontinus on, who uses it of vexatious or harmful activity;^[3][4] Köbler dates Frontinus to about AD 100.^[2]

Semantic evolution

In Tertullian it means hostility and persecution,^[4][5] and the TLL records the plural from Cyprian on.^[3] In Christian and medieval Latin it named harassment by people or demons, molestation and armed attack,^[6][7][8] and in legal use the harassment of someone by lawsuits or force.^[9] Medieval writers also used it of a disease and its attacks.^[10][8]

English took it over in the early 15th century as infestation, through Old French.^[11]

Timeline

• c. 100 AD – Frontinus uses it of harmful activity.^[3][4][2]
• c. 160–220 AD – Tertullian uses it of hostility and persecution.^[4][5][2]
• 1262 – An entry in the English Close Rolls speaks of an attack of fever.^[10]
• early 15th century – English borrows it as infestation.^[11]

Meanings

Noun

1. Vexatious or harmful activity, harassment.^[1][4]
2. Hostility, persecution.^[4][5]
3. (Ecclesiastical and Medieval Latin) An assault or attack, by enemies, animals or demons.^[6][7][10]
4. (Medieval Latin, law) Harassment by lawsuits or by force.^[9]
5. (Medieval Latin) An attack of disease, infection.^[10][8]

Related words

• infestus
• English infestation

References

1. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
2. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
3. ^ a b c Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ a b c d e f Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
5. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ a b c Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
9. ^ a b Bartal, Antal, et al. (1987–), Lexicon Latinitatis Medii Aevi Hungariae, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online ed. ELTE
10. ^ a b c d 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
11. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com