marginalis

Forms

marginālis (neuter margināle); third-declension two-termination adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is a Medieval Latin formation, from Latin margō (“edge, margin”) + -ālis.^[1][2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates the first record to about 1265, from Latham.^[2] The DMLBS has it for the edge of water, of a willow leaning over the waves, in a book of miracles of Thomas, and for glosses and notes written in the margin of a book.^[4]

Semantic evolution

Most uses concern books: marginal glosses beside interlinear ones, and letters or numbers in the margins of a table.^[4] Used as a feminine noun, it meant a marginal gloss or commentary, especially on the Bible, in Neckam and in Langton's commentary on Ruth.^[4] The Latin of Poland and the Czech lands has it for what stands or is written in the margin of a book.^[5][6]

In Neo-Latin it still described glosses in the margin, and the neuter plural marginalia became a noun for marginal notes.^[7] English took it as marginal, first of what is written in the margin; the sense “of little importance” came much later.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 1265 – First recorded, in Latham.^[2]
• 1414 – A Polish source speaks of a marginal gloss.^[5]
• 1520 – A letter of More in Erasmus' correspondence mentions a marginal note.^[4]
• 1570s – English borrows it as marginal, “written on the margin of a page”.^[3]
• 1666 – Kircher describes a Gospel book with short marginal glosses in Arabic and Syriac.^[7]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Near the shore, littoral.^[4]
2. Marginal, written or placed in the margin of a page (of glosses, notes or numbers).^[4][7][5]
3. (as a feminine noun) A marginal gloss or commentary, especially on the Bible.^[4]

Usage notes

The neuter plural marginalia, “marginal notes”, is a Neo-Latin noun.^[7]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ 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
5. ^ a b c Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
6. ^ 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
7. ^ a b c d Ramminger, Johann, Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700, www.neulatein.de