offerta

Forms

offerta f (genitive offertae); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin offerō (“to bring before, offer”), a Medieval Latin formation.^[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first source is a placitum (a court record) of 853 in Manaresi's edition.^[2] Niermeyer's first sense is the offering of bread and wine brought to the altar at Mass.^[3]

Semantic evolution

Besides the offering itself, the word named the revenue a parish drew from the gifts of the faithful, and a pious gift of property to a church.^[3] A privilege for the monastery of St Aemilianus speaks of wine and loaves brought in offerta, and in a Monte Cassino record the word names a sacred vessel, the paten.^[4] In late medieval Poland it was the money the faithful gave at Mass.^[1]

Timeline

• 853 – First recorded, in a placitum.^[2]
• 1393 – A Polish account book records money given ad offertam.^[1]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Medieval Latin) The offering of bread and wine brought to the altar at Mass.^[3][4]
2. (Medieval Latin) A parish's revenue from the offerings of the faithful.^[3]
3. (Medieval Latin) A pious gift of property to a church.^[3][2]
4. (Medieval Latin) Money offered by the faithful at Mass.^[1]
5. (Medieval Latin) A paten.^[4]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
2. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
3. ^ a b c d e Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
4. ^ a b c du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre