mechanisma

Forms

mēchanisma n (genitive mēchanismatis); third declension^[1][2] The manuscripts of Rusticus also have michanisma.^[3][4]

Etymology

It is from Ancient Greek μηχάνημα (mēkhánēma, “contrivance, machine”) in the view of Georges,^[2] and Lewis & Short and Gaffiot treat it as a late by-form of mēchanēma.^[1][5] Köbler refers it to Ancient Greek μηχανή (mēkhanḗ, “means, device, machine”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It first appears in Cassiodorus' Variae (1.45), for a mechanical contrivance that tries to imitate the power of nature.^[1][3][6]

Semantic evolution

The word stayed rare.^[3] In Rusticus, writing on the councils, it means a trick or deceit: the adversary's devices are said to have shown a spider's web.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 485–c. 580 AD – Cassiodorus uses it for a mechanical contrivance.^[1][4]
• after 553 AD – Rusticus uses it for a trick.^[3][4]

Meanings

Noun

1. A mechanical contrivance, an artful piece of work, a mechanism.^[1][3][6]
2. A trick, deceit.^[3]

Related words

• machina

References

1. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
2. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
3. ^ a b c d e f g Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ a b Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier