intermedius

Forms

intermedius (feminine intermedia, neuter intermedium); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin inter (“between”) + medius (“middle”).^[1][2][3] The TLL marks the word as doubtful and derives it, if it is genuine, from the phrase ⟨inter medium⟩ “in the middle”;^[4] Georges reads two of the passages cited for it as ⟨inter⟩ and ⟨medius⟩ or ⟨medium⟩ written apart.^[5] Romance words such as Italian intermezzo are usually derived from it, but the TLL thinks that the phrase is more likely their source.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Varro (116–27 BC) uses it in his work on agriculture for something placed or inserted between.^[3][6][7]

Semantic evolution

Paulinus of Nola has it for what lies in the middle.^[3][5][2] It became common in Medieval Latin for anything lying between in place or time, and its neuter served as a noun for the middle or an intervening space;^[8][9] Hungarian charters use it of a road or boundary marks between two properties.^[10] Figuratively it meant something added or inserted.^[10] Ecclesiastical Latin has it for “intermediate”.^[11]

Timeline

• 116–27 BC – Varro uses it for something placed between.^[3][6][2]
• c. 353–431 AD – Paulinus of Nola uses it for what lies in the middle.^[3][5][2]
• 1243 – A Hungarian charter mentions a road lying between two properties.^[10]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Lying between, intermediate, inserted.^[3][6][11]
2. (Medieval Latin) In the middle, intervening, in place or time.^[8][9][10]
3. (Medieval Latin) Added, interpolated.^[10]

Noun

1. (Medieval Latin, neuter) The middle, an intervening space, an interval.^[8][9]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
3. ^ a b c d e f Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
5. ^ a b c Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
6. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ VoLat: Vocabolario della Lingua Latina (2018), Milan: Hoepli
8. ^ a b c Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
9. ^ a b c 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
10. ^ a b c d e Bartal, Antal, et al. (1987–), Lexicon Latinitatis Medii Aevi Hungariae, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online ed. ELTE
11. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson