poenitentiarius

Forms

poenitentiārius m (genitive poenitentiāriī); second declension^[1][2] Also spelt paenitentiārius, penitentiārius and penitenciarius.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is from Latin paenitentia (“penitence, penance”),^[4] and Köbler refers it to paeniteō (“to repent”).^[2] Etymonline describes it as an adjective, “of penance”, of which the feminine gave penitentiaria.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The earliest record in the DMLBS is from about 1170, a charter of Dryburgh made in the presence of brother James, penitentiary of the pope.^[5]

Semantic evolution

In Medieval Latin it named a priest who heard confessions and imposed penances,^[6][5] especially one empowered to absolve sins reserved to the pope or the bishop.^[3][7] There were papal penitentiaries as well as those of bishops and monasteries;^[5][3] a council of Arles in 1260 has bishops send penitentiaries through the villages and towns in Lent to absolve the weak and poor.^[7] The DMLBS also has it as an adjective, litterae paenitentiariae, letters about a penance imposed, and as a feminine noun for a woman penitent,^[5] and Du Cange cites it for a man on whom penance had been laid.^[7]

The Council of Trent made the penitentiary a dignity of cathedral chapters.^[7] In Ecclesiastical Latin it is also the president of the Paenitentiaria, the papal tribunal.^[1] English penitentiary goes back to the Medieval Latin feminine.^[4]

Timeline

• c. 1170 – A Dryburgh charter names a papal penitentiary.^[5]
• 1217 – A council orders the penitent to bring back litterae paenitentiariae.^[5]
• 1245 – The register of Odo of Rouen tells of casting the poenitentiarii, the penitents, out of the church at the start of the fast.^[7]
• 1248 – Polish annals name brother Godfrey, a preacher, as penitentiary of the pope.^[3]
• 1260 – A council of Arles provides for penitentiaries sent out in Lent.^[7]
• early 15th century – English has penitenciarie, a priest for extraordinary cases of penance.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Medieval Latin) A confessor who imposes penances; a penitentiary, especially one empowered to absolve sins reserved to the pope or a bishop.^[6][5][3][1]
2. (Medieval Latin) A penitent, one on whom penance has been laid.^[7][5]
3. (Ecclesiastical Latin) The president of the papal Paenitentiaria.^[1]

Adjective

1. (Medieval Latin) Concerned with penance.^[5][4]

Related words

• English penitentiary

References

1. ^ a b c d Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
2. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
3. ^ a b c d e Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
4. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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
6. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ a b c d e f g du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre