praescriptio

Forms

praescrīptiō f (genitive praescrīptiōnis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin praescrībō (“to write before, prescribe”) + -tiō.^[2][1][3] That verb is a compound of prae- (“before”) and scrībō (“to write”), which de Vaan derives from Proto-Italic *skreife/o- (“to carve”) and Proto-Indo-European *skreibʰ- (“to carve”); cognate with Oscan scriftas (“written”) and Umbrian screhto (“written”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler and the TLL record it first in Cicero,^[5][3] who speaks of the index and praescriptio of a law, its title and preamble.^[2]

Semantic evolution

From a heading written in front, a title or preamble, it became a legal term: a clause prefixed to the formula of a lawsuit to limit its scope, so called, Gaius explains, because it is written before the formula.^[2] Quintilian and the jurists use it of an objection raised by the defendant, a plea in bar, and Papinian speaks of the praescriptio longae possessionis, the plea of long possession.^[2] Caesar uses it of a cover or pretext, ut honesta praescriptione rem turpissimam tegerent.^[2][6] Cicero, Vitruvius, Seneca and Tacitus use it of a rule, direction or limitation.^[2][6] In Ecclesiastical Latin it is prescription, the acquiring of ownership by possession for the time the law lays down,^[7] and medieval writers in Britain use it of a prescribed form of words, a decree, a medical prescription and a title acquired by long use.^[8] English borrowed it as prescription in the late 14th century, first as a legal term.^[9]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of the preamble of a law and of a rule.^[2][5]
• c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of a pretext.^[2][5]
• 140–180 AD – Gaius explains the legal praescriptiones.^[2][5]
• before 212 AD – Papinian has praescriptio longae possessionis.^[2][5]
• late 14th century – English borrows it as prescription.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. A written heading, title, preamble.^[2][10][6]
2. (law) A preliminary clause defining the scope of a lawsuit; an objection raised by the defendant, a demurrer, especially on grounds of lapse of time.^[2][6]
3. A pretext, cover, excuse.^[2][10][6]
4. A precept, rule, direction; a limitation.^[2][10][6]
5. (Ecclesiastical Latin, Medieval Latin) Prescription, title acquired by long possession; a medical prescription.^[7][8]

Related words

• praescrībō
• praescrīptum
• English prescription

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b 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 e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b c d e f Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
7. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
8. ^ a b 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
9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
10. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press