phantasia

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [pʰanˈta.si.a]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [fanˈtaː.s̬i.a]^[1]

Forms

phantasia f (genitive phantasiae); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek φαντασία (phantasía, “appearance, imagination”), from φαντάζεσθαι (phantázesthai, “to appear”).^[2][1][3][4] Old manuscripts also have the spelling ⟨fantasia⟩.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lewis and Short and Gaffiot cite Seneca the Elder's Suasoriae for an idea or notion, and call it post-Augustan.^[6][7] Köbler's first source is Cicero, whom he dates 81–43 BC.^[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant an imagined situation, a fancy, an idea or notion, as Seneca the Elder's remark that Nicetas handled hanc phantasiam more eloquently.^[2][6] Petronius uses phantasia, nōn homō “a phantom, not a man” as a term of reproach, and Ammianus of a vision or dream.^[7][6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant a delusion, fancy, illusion, image, and the Vulgate's Ecclesiasticus speaks of the heart suffering phantasiās.^[8][6] Medieval Latin used it of a mental image, the faculty of imagination, a vision or nightmare, and a phantasm.^[9] Old French fantaisie gave English fantasy in the early 14th century, and Italian fantasia gave the musical English fantasia in 1724.^[4]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero has the word, according to Köbler.^[3]
• Early Empire – Seneca the Elder uses it of a notion.^[6][7]
• before 66 AD – Petronius uses it of a phantom.^[7][3]
• c. 390 AD – Ammianus uses it of a vision.^[7][3]
• early 14th century – English fantasy is recorded.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. An imagined situation, a fancy, notion.^[2][6]
2. A phantom.^[7]
3. A vision, dream.^[7]
4. (Ecclesiastical Latin) A delusion, illusion.^[8]
5. (Medieval Latin) The faculty of imagination.^[9]

Related words

• phantasma
• imāginātiō
• English fantasy
• English fancy
• English fantasia

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
6. ^ a b c d e f Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ a b c d e f g Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
8. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
9. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill