Etymologically
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interventor

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ɪn.tɛrˈwɛn.tɔr][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [in.terˈvɛn.tor][1]

Forms

interventor m (genitive interventōris); third declension[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin interveniō (“to come between, intervene”) + -tor.[2][3][4] The verb is from inter (“between”) and veniō (“to come”).[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Cicero, at the start of De fato, speaks of a day “more free of interventores” (magis uacuo ab interventoribus die), that is, of people dropping in and interrupting.[2][6]

Semantic evolution

The TLL notes that it occurs once in Cicero and then only from Ulpian and the Old Latin Bible on.[3] In Ulpian it is a legal term for a guarantor or surety, and the Historia Augusta has it for an intercessor or mediator.[2][7][8] Medieval Latin used it mostly for an intercessor,[9] a go-between, envoy or negotiator, a guarantor, and an advocate who recommends someone,[10] and of one who pleads for others with God.[11]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of interrupting visitors.[2][12]
  • before 223 AD – Ulpian uses it for a guarantor.[2][12]
  • after 220 AD – The Old Latin Bible uses it.[3][12]

Meanings

Noun

  1. One who drops in and interrupts, a visitor.[2][7]
  2. (law) A guarantor, surety.[2][7]
  3. An intercessor, mediator.[7][13][9]
  4. (Medieval Latin) A go-between, envoy or negotiator; a messenger.[10][11]
  5. (Medieval Latin) One who pleads on another's behalf, especially with God; an advocate.[11][10]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ Bianchi, Rossella; Lelli, Olga (2014), VOLI: Vocabolario di latino, Florence: Le Monnier
  5. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  6. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  7. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  8. ^ Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  9. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  10. ^ a b c Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  11. ^ 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
  12. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  13. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.