prioritas

Forms

priōritās f (genitive priōritātis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin prior (“former, earlier”) + -tās,^[1][2][3] a medieval formation.^[2] De Vaan traces the adjective to Proto-Italic *prī̆-jos- (“earlier, former”), from Proto-Indo-European *pr(e)i (“before”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Among the DMLBS's first quotations, Blund and Neckam use it of priority in time; its first dated one, from 1253, speaks of the “priority” of a castle's capture.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Scholastic writers used it beside posterioritas for being earlier in time or order.^[2][5] From priority in time it came to mean precedence in rank or dignity, and in monasteries the office of a prior.^[2][1] It could also stand for the ancestors as a group,^[2][6] and once for the chief part of an inheritance.^[2] Niermeyer glosses it “priority, precedence”.^[7] English priority, from the late 14th century, comes from Old French and directly from the medieval Latin word.^[8]

Timeline

• 1253 – A letter speaks of the priority of a castle's capture.^[2]
• 1272 – It names the office of a prior.^[2]
• 1282 – A royal letter uses it of ancestors as a group.^[2]
• 1340 – It is used of precedence in rank.^[2]
• late 14th century – English borrows it as priority.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. Being earlier in time, priority.^[2][7][1]
2. Precedence in rank or dignity.^[2][1]
3. (Ecclesiastical Latin) The office of a prior, priorship.^[2][1]
4. Ancestors as a group.^[2][6]
5. The chief part of something.^[2]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p 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
3. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
6. ^ a b 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 Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com