Etymologically
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praeventio

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Forms

praeventiō f (genitive praeventiōnis); third declension[1][2]

Etymology

It is from Latin praeveniō + -tiō.[3][1][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLL's first example is Rufinus (c. 345–411/412 AD),[3][4] who uses it of a prejudice that takes hold of the mind beforehand and keeps it from understanding.[3]

Semantic evolution

Augustine uses it of anticipating an opponent's charges, so that they are refuted before he can make them.[3][1][2] Pelagius uses it of being taken by surprise by a sudden temptation to sin.[3] Niermeyer gives the medieval sense of a snare or piece of roguery.[5]

In legal language praeventio was the right of the judge who first took up a case shared by two jurisdictions, and later a judicial inquiry.[6] British writers used it of God's prevenient grace, and Roger Bacon of the moon's opposition to the sun.[7] English took it over as prevention in the 15th century, from medieval Latin.[8]

Timeline

  • c. 345–411/412 AD – Rufinus uses it of a prejudice of the mind.[3][4]
  • 354–430 AD – Augustine uses it of anticipating an opponent.[3][1][4]
  • 1369 – A French royal charter uses it of a judicial inquiry.[6]
  • mid-15th century – English has prevention, from medieval Latin.[8]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (Late Latin) Anticipation, a coming beforehand.[1][3][9]
  2. (Late Latin) A prejudice, preoccupation of the mind.[3]
  3. (Late Latin) Surprise, being overtaken (by temptation).[3]
  4. (Medieval Latin) A snare, piece of roguery.[5]
  5. (Medieval Latin, law) The right of a judge to take a case first; a judicial inquiry.[6]
  6. (Medieval Latin) The going before of God's grace, prevenience.[7]

References

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