Etymologically
Log in

praesidentialis

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 24 October 2026 at 18:53. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

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

  1. (Medieval Latin) Presided over by the king (of the royal court).[4][3]

Noun

  1. (Medieval Latin, in the plural) The members of the king's tribunal or council.[4][1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  2. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ 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
  4. ^ a b c d Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill