legislatio

Forms

lēgislātiō f (genitive lēgislātiōnis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is a univerbation of the phrase ⟨lēgis lātiō⟩, “a carrying of a law”,^[1][2] from lēx (“law”) and lātiō (“a carrying, proposing”),^[1][3] the abstract noun of ferō (“to bear, carry”).^[1][4] The DMLBS also finds the phrase written separately.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler finds it first in Hilary,^[3] and Lewis & Short cite the Vulgate's Romans 9:4, where it means the giving of the law.^[4]

Semantic evolution

In Christian and medieval Latin it meant the giving of the law, above all through Moses: Bede uses it so,^[5] and Robert Grosseteste contrasts the law given through Moses with that given through Christ.^[5] It also came to mean an enacted law, legislation, as in a letter of Grosseteste of 1238.^[5][6]

French formed législation in the 14th century, and English borrowed this as legislation in the 1650s.^[2]

Timeline

• c. 315–367/368 AD – Hilary uses it.^[3]
• 1238 – Robert Grosseteste uses it for enacted law.^[5]
• 1650s – English borrows the French derivative as legislation.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. The giving of the law, lawgiving.^[4][5]
2. (Medieval Latin) Legislation, enacted law.^[5][6][7]

Related words

• lēgislātor
• English legislation

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
3. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c d e f g 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
6. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson