perturbatio

Forms

perturbātiō f (genitive perturbātiōnis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin perturbō (“to throw into confusion”) + -tiō.^[2][1][3] De Vaan lists ⟨perturbō⟩ under turba (“commotion, crowd”), whose origin he finds unclear: the link with Sanskrit त्वरते (tvarate, “hurries”) is very uncertain formally, and one with Ancient Greek στρέφω (stréphō, “to turn”) would need ⟨*torba⟩.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLL dates it from the Rhetorica ad Herennium,^[3] which uses it of disturbing the order of the places used in memorising.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

Cicero uses it more than 150 times, mostly in his philosophical works; it does not occur in verse.^[3] It is physical upheaval, as Cicero's disturbances of sky, sea and land, and an upset of bodily health.^[2] Transferred to the state it is disorder, as the confusion of the courts, and political upheaval or revolution.^[2][6] Of the mind it is distress, and in philosophy any strong emotion, a passion, translating Ancient Greek πάθος (páthos): Cicero lists fears, lusts and angers among the perturbātiōnēs animī.^[2]

Church Latin has it for disturbance, confusion, trouble.^[7] English perturbation (late 14th century), first “mental disturbance”, came through Old French and directly from the Latin.^[8]

Timeline

• 86/82 BC – The Rhetorica ad Herennium of a confused order.^[2][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero of physical, political and mental disturbance and of the passions.^[2][3][5]
• 390–406 AD – The Vulgate of confusion in an enemy's camp.^[6][5]
• late 14th century – English perturbation.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. Physical disturbance, upheaval; a disorder of health; disarrangement.^[2][6]
2. confusion, disorder; political disturbance, revolution.^[2][6][1][7]
3. Agitation of mind, distress, perturbation.^[2][1]
4. (philosophy) A strong emotion, a passion.^[2][1]

Word family

• imperturbatio

Related words

• perturbo
• turba
• English perturbation

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com