Etymology and origin of the Latin word qualifico
- Confidence
- Established
- Formation
- Derivation
- First attested
- c. 1160, John of Salisbury
- Ultimate origin
- Latin quālis
Etymology tree
From the same root
Forms
quālificō (present infinitive quālificāre, perfect active quālificāvī, supine quālificātum); first conjugation[1]
Etymology
It is from Latin quālis (“of what kind”) + -ficō, formed like the classical magnificō.[2][1][3]
Earliest recorded meaning
The first writer the DMLBS quotes is John of Salisbury, who speaks of nature as a power endowed with quality and quantity;[2] it meant to give something a certain quality, to make it of a certain kind.[2][1]
Semantic evolution
It was a word of scholastic philosophy, used for what gives a substance its qualities, as a definition does.[2][4] It also meant to change something's quality, to modify it, and in law to moderate a penalty or a judgment.[2]
Polish writers used it for assigning something to a class or fixing it,[4] and its participle qualificatus for a person endowed with a quality or holding a university degree.[4] English qualify (mid-15th century) comes from French qualifier and directly from the Medieval Latin verb.[3]
Timeline
- c. 1160 – John of Salisbury uses it of nature as a power endowed with quality and quantity.[2][5]
- mid-15th century – English borrows it as qualify.[3]
- 1549 – A Scottish council uses it for amending a petition.[2]
Meanings
Verb
- (Medieval Latin, philosophy) To give a quality to; to make of a certain kind.[2][1][4]
- (Medieval Latin) To modify;[2] (law) to mitigate.[2]
- (Medieval Latin) To classify, assign, determine.[4]
- (Medieval Latin) To qualify (a person); qualificatus, holding a university degree.[4]
Related words
References
- ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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
- ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
- ^ a b c d e f Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
- ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
Borrowed into
- English qualify
Cite this entry
“Qualifico.” Etymologically, 23 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/qualifico. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.
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