influentia

Forms

īnfluentia f (genitive īnfluentiae); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin īnfluō (“to flow in”), a Medieval Latin noun^[2] formed from its present participle īnfluēns with the suffix -ia.^[1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The MLW finds it first in the Annales Xantenses under the year 873, of a flood of waters in which many people perished with their buildings.^[4]

Semantic evolution

The literal sense “inflow” (of water, of light) stayed in use,^[2][4] and Du Cange quotes influentiae aquārum for floods as late as 1405.^[5] In 13th-century philosophy and theology it became the outflowing power of a higher cause on a lower one: Albert the Great says that what the Arabs call influentia the Greek philosophers call procession.^[4] Above all it was the power streaming from the stars on earthly things, and divine influence;^[2][6] Petrarch and Boccaccio write of heavenly influentiae.^[6] English influence was first an astrological term in the late 14th century, through Old French.^[7] In New Latin it also means influenza,^[1] a word English borrowed from Italian in 1743.^[7]

Timeline

• 873 – The Annales Xantenses use it of a flood.^[4]
• 1169–1184 – William of Tyre uses it.^[3]
• c. 1240 – Robert Grosseteste writes of higher things pouring their influences on lower ones.^[2]
• 13th century – Albert the Great uses it of the action of a first cause.^[4][3]
• late 14th century – English influence is borrowed through Old French, as an astrological term.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Medieval Latin) A flowing in, inflow (of water or light); a flood.^[2][4][5]
2. (Medieval Latin) influence, especially the power of the stars or of God acting on things.^[2][4][8][6]
3. (New Latin) influenza.^[1]

Related words

• English influence
• English influenza

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f 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
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 f g Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
5. ^ a b du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
6. ^ a b c Ramminger, Johann, Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700, www.neulatein.de
7. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
8. ^ Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill