praesentatio

Forms

praesentātiō f (genitive praesentātiōnis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin praesentō (“to present”) + -tiō.^[1][2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLL finds the singular from Augustine on;^[2] he uses it for a presentation or showing, and of a judgement that is still a threat and not yet carried out.^[4][3]

Semantic evolution

The TLL rejects two earlier instances: in Tertullian it is a false variant for repraesentatio, and in the Code of Justinian it was wrongly printed for praestatio.^[2]

In medieval Latin it became a term of church law, the right of a patron to present a candidate for a church benefice,^[5][6] and it also meant a courtesy present and a complaint before a court.^[5] Praesentatio Domini was the feast of Candlemas,^[6] and British sources name the feast of the Presentation of the Virgin, on 21 November, and the presenting of a candidate for an academic degree.^[7] English borrowed presentation in the late 14th century.^[8]

Timeline

• 354–430 AD – Augustine uses it in his commentary on the Psalms and in a letter.^[4][2][9]
• 1299 – A charter in Du Cange uses it of exhibiting a letter before a notary.^[10]
• before 1350 – Oxford statutes use it of presenting a candidate for a degree.^[7]
• late 14th century – English borrows it as presentation.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. A placing before, showing, presentation.^[3][4]
2. The carrying out, realisation of something threatened.^[4]
3. (Medieval Latin, church law) The right of presenting a candidate to an ecclesiastical benefice.^[5][6]
4. (Medieval Latin) A courtesy present.^[5]
5. (Medieval Latin, law) A complaint before a court, a presentment.^[5]
6. (Ecclesiastical Latin) Praesentatio Domini: the feast of Candlemas;^[6][7] Praesentatio Beatae Mariae: the feast of the Presentation of the Virgin.^[6][7]

Related words

• English presentation

Usage notes

Lewis and Short cite it from the Code of Justinian (12.28.2), where other texts read praestatio;^[3] the TLL counts that reading as an error of the editions.^[2]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
3. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c d Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
5. ^ a b c d e Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
6. ^ a b c d e Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
7. ^ a b c d 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
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
9. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
10. ^ du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre