Etymology and origin of the Latin word praesidentialis
- Confidence
- Established
- Formation
- Derivation
- First attested
- 1118
- Ultimate origin
- Latin praesideō
Etymology tree
Forms
praesidentiālis (neuter praesidentiāle); third-declension two-termination adjective[1]
Etymology
It is from Latin praesidentia (“presidency”) + -ālis,[2] a derivative of praesideō (“to preside over”).[1][2]
Earliest recorded meaning
It is first recorded in a charter of King Louis VI of France of 1118,[3][1] which speaks of the “great presidential royal court” (magna praesidentialis nostra regia curia), a court presided over by the king.[3][4]
Semantic evolution
Du Cange explains this court as the king's supreme council, also called the Parlement.[3] As a plural noun, praesidentiales were the members of the king's tribunal:[4][1] a charter of the same king of 1120 speaks of “our great presidentials in Paris”.[3] Du Cange traces to these the title Grands Présidents of the presidents of the Parlement.[3]
English took the word over about 1600 as presidential.[2]
Timeline
- 1118 – A charter of Louis VI speaks of the “presidential” royal court.[3][1]
- 1120 – The plural noun praesidentiales names the members of the king's court.[3][1]
- c. 1600 – Borrowed into English as presidential.[2]
Meanings
Adjective
Noun
Related words
- English presidential
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
- ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
- ^ a b c d e f g h du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
- ^ a b c d Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
Borrowed into
- English presidential
Cite this entry
“Praesidentialis.” Etymologically, 24 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/praesidentialis. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.
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