Etymologically
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praesentatio

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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]

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