momentarius

Forms

mōmentārius (feminine mōmentāria, neuter mōmentārium); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin mōmentum (“movement; moment”) + -ārius.^[2] The TLL derives it from the ablative ⟨mōmentō⟩ used as an adverb, “in a moment”, and compares subitārius (“sudden”) and mōmentāneus (“momentary”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It first appears in Apuleius (c. 125–175 AD), who calls a lover who stays only for moments a momentarius maritus and a quick-acting poison momentarium venenum.^[4][2][5]

Semantic evolution

Lewis & Short class it as post-classical.^[4] Besides Apuleius it occurs in the jurists, where Papinian speaks of present and momentary care,^[3][4] in the Historia Augusta, where Elagabalus has temporary pools made of roses,^[3][6] and in Ambrose.^[3] A list of synonyms groups it with incerta, fortuita and casualia.^[3]

English took it as momentary in the mid-15th century.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 125–175 AD – Apuleius uses it of a short-lived life, a fleeting husband and a quick poison.^[2][4][5]
• before 212 AD – Papinian, quoted in the Digest, writes of praesentem ac momentariam curam.^[3][4][5]
• c. 340–397 AD – Ambrose uses it of splendour that flashes with momentary speed.^[3][5]
• mid-15th century – English borrows it as momentary.^[7]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Lasting a short time, temporary, momentary, short-lived.^[2][4][6]
2. Acting at once, quick-acting (of a poison).^[2][4][6]

Related words

• English momentary

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
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 e f g Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b c Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com