legatia

Forms

lēgātia f (genitive lēgātiae); first declension^[1][2]

Etymology

It is a medieval formation from Latin lēgō¹ (“to send as an envoy”),^[1] belonging with lēgātus (“envoy, legate”);^[3] Du Cange treats it as the same word as lēgātiō.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The DMLBS finds it first in a letter of Thomas Becket of 1167, which speaks of a suspended legatia and jurisdiction, the office of a papal legate.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant the office or authority of a papal legate,^[4][1] and also the territory and period over which that jurisdiction ran.^[4][2] Jocelin of Brakelond uses it of an archbishop who came into the chapter by right of his legation.^[4][1] A Hungarian council of 1309 speaks of those subject “to our legation”.^[2]

Timeline

• 1167 – A letter of Thomas Becket speaks of a suspended legation.^[4]
• 1198–1202 – Jocelin of Brakelond uses it of an archbishop's authority as legate.^[4][1]
• 1309 – A Hungarian council uses it of the jurisdiction of a legate.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Medieval Latin) The office or authority of a papal legate; a legation.^[4][1]
2. (Medieval Latin) The jurisdiction of a legate, in time or territory.^[4][2]

Related words

• lēgātiō

Usage notes

Du Cange has a second legatia, a small sum of money, which he would derive from Italian legaccia “a tie”, because the poor kept such money tied up.^[3] The Lexicon Bohemorum records it in the sense “what follows from the law”.^[5]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
2. ^ a b c d e Bartal, Antal, et al. (1987–), Lexicon Latinitatis Medii Aevi Hungariae, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online ed. ELTE
3. ^ a b c du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
4. ^ a b c d e f g h 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
5. ^ Latinitatis medii aevi lexicon Bohemorum / Slovník středověké latiny v českých zemích (1977–), Prague: Academia; electronic version, Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences