matia

Forms

matia f (genitive matiae); first declension^[1]

Etymology

The origin is uncertain.^[2][3] Köbler connects it with from Vulgar Latin *mattia (“club”) and with mateola (“a kind of mallet”),^[4] and Etymonline derives the Romance words for the mace from Vulgar Latin *mattea, from the same Latin word.^[5] Wiktionary suggests that Frankish *mattjō (“cutting tool, hoe, chisel”) may have played a part.^[1] The British form ⟨macia⟩ is taken from Old French mace.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first record is the Fuero de Jaca of 1063,^[4] where it means a club used as a weapon.^[2][4]

Semantic evolution

Medieval documents spell it in many ways: macia, machia, masia, mazia, maza, mazza, mascea.^[2] It named a heavy club used as a weapon, and then a ceremonial mace, a staff carried as a sign of office;^[2][7] English court records of the 13th century describe men struck on the head with one.^[6] It lives on in Italian mazza and Old French mace, the source of the English word.^[1][5]

Timeline

• 1063 – The Fuero de Jaca has it for a club.^[4]
• 1201 – An English court roll records a man struck with a mascea.^[6]
• c. 1300 – English borrows mace from Old French.^[5]
• 1302 – A chronicle of Parma has it for a staff of office.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Medieval Latin) A club, a heavy stick used as a weapon.^[2][1]
2. (Medieval Latin) A ceremonial mace, a staff of office.^[2][7]

Related words

• mateola
• English mace

Usage notes

A different word, the neuter plural matia, is glossed by Placidus and Papias as the intestines, whence matiarii for those who deal in them;^[8][3][7] its origin is unknown.^[3]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
3. ^ a b c Novum Glossarium Mediae Latinitatis ab anno DCCC usque ad annum MCC (1957–), Copenhagen / Geneva / Paris: Union Académique Internationale; IRHT
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ 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
7. ^ a b c d du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
8. ^ Goetz, Georg (1888–1923), Corpus glossariorum Latinorum, Leipzig: Teubner; vols. VI–VII Thesaurus glossarum emendatarum, digital ed. CGLO, Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften