prophetia

Forms

prophētīa f (genitive prophētīae); first declension^[1] Medieval Latin also spelled it prophecia.^[2] Gildas writes profetia.^[3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek προφητεία (prophēteía, “gift of interpreting the will of the gods; prophecy”),^[4][5][3][2] from προφήτης (prophḗtēs, “prophet”).^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is an Ecclesiastical word,^[4] first found in Tertullian's On the Soul, meaning a prophecy or prediction.^[4][5][6][7]

Semantic evolution

In the Vulgate it means a prophecy,^[4][6] and in the books of Chronicles also a body of prophets or singers.^[4] Augustine uses it in the City of God.^[5][8]

Medieval Latin added the gift of prophecy, often as spiritus prophetiae,^[9][3] the office of a prophet,^[3] the prophetical books of the Old Testament,^[9] and an anthem of the introit containing the prophecy of Zechariah on the coming of John the Baptist.^[9] It also served as the title of prophetic writings, such as the prophetia of Merlin cited by Orderic Vitalis.^[3] Through Old French it gave English prophecy around 1200;^[2] Spanish profecia and Italian profezia come from it too.^[2]

Timeline

• c. 160–220 AD – Tertullian uses it for prophecy.^[4][5][7]
• 354–430 AD – Augustine uses it in the City of God.^[5][8][7]
• 390–406 AD – The Vulgate uses it for a prophecy and for a body of prophets or singers.^[4][7]
• c. 1200 – English borrows it as prophecy.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. A prophecy, prediction.^{[4][5][10][9]}
2. (Ecclesiastical Latin) A body of prophets or singers.^[4]
3. (Medieval Latin) The gift or spirit of prophecy.^[9][3]
4. (Medieval Latin) The office of a prophet.^[3]
5. (Medieval Latin) The prophetical books of the Old Testament.^[9]
6. (Medieval Latin, liturgy) An anthem of the introit containing the prophecy of Zechariah.^[9]

Word family

• prophetialis

Related words

• prophēta
• English prophecy

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
3. ^ a b c d e f g 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
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c d e f Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
6. ^ a b Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
7. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
8. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
9. ^ a b c d e f g Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
10. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson