permissio

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [pɛrˈmɪs.si.oː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [perˈmis.si.o]^[1]

Forms

permissiō f (genitive permissiōnis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from permittō “to let go, allow” with the suffix -tiō.^[2][1][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from the Rhetorica ad Herennium, of a figure of speech and of permission.^[2] Köbler's first source is Cicero; he dates the Rhetorica 86/82 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

The TLL notes it occurs in few places in the Rhetorica ad Herennium, Cicero, Livy and Quintilian, and more often from Tertullian on.^[3] In Livy it meant surrender to another's authority, and in the Rhetorica ad Herennium a figure that pretends to leave the decision to another, and permission, leave, as in Cicero.^[2][6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant permission, leave.^[7] British Medieval Latin used it for leaving untended.^[8] It survives in Italian permissione and French permission, and Old French gave English permission in the early 15th century.^[1][4]

Timeline

• 86/82 BC – The Rhetorica ad Herennium uses it of permission.^[2][5]
• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of surrender.^[2][5]
• c. 160–220 AD – Tertullian uses it more often.^[3][5]
• early 15th century – English permission is recorded.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. Surrender.^[2]
2. (rhetoric) A deferring to another's decision.^[2]
3. Permission, leave.^[2]

Related words

• permittō
• English permission

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
8. ^ 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