Etymologically
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offerta

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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