nocturnalis

Forms

nocturnālis (neuter nocturnāle); third-declension two-termination adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin nocturnus + -ālis,^[1] the base being nocturnus (“of the night”), from nox (“night”).^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is post-classical:^[4] the first author to use it is Sidonius Apollinaris, of a hood worn at night (cucullus nocturnalis).^[4][2]

Semantic evolution

Alcimus Avitus uses it of a dwelling at night.^[4][5] In Church Latin it meant “of the night”, above all of the night office (nocturnale officium).^[6][7] As a noun, masculine nocturnalis or neuter nocturnāle named the liturgical book for the night services, and the plural nocturnālēs or nocturnālia meant night shoes.^[7][2] British sources also use it for things that happen or appear at night.^[8]

English took it over in the late 15th century, through French or directly, as nocturnal.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 431–486 AD – Sidonius Apollinaris speaks of a night hood.^[4][2]
• c. 451–518 AD – Alcimus Avitus uses it of a night-time dwelling.^[4][2]
• 863–885 – The Regensburg traditions use it for the book of the night office.^[2]
• late 15th century – English borrows it as nocturnal.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of the night, nocturnal.^[4][5][6]
2. (Ecclesiastical Latin) Of the night office.^[7][8]

Noun

1. (Medieval Latin) A book with the services of the night office, a nocturnal.^[7][9][2]
2. (Medieval Latin, plural) Night shoes.^[7]

Related words

• English nocturnal

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g 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 Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
7. ^ a b c d e Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ a b 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
9. ^ du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre