Etymologically
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qualifico

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [kʷaːˈlɪ.fɪ.koː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [kʷaˈliː.fi.ko][1]

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

  1. (Medieval Latin, philosophy) To give a quality to; to make of a certain kind.[2][1][4]
  2. (Medieval Latin) To modify;[2] (law) to mitigate.[2]
  3. (Medieval Latin) To classify, assign, determine.[4]
  4. (Medieval Latin) To qualify (a person); qualificatus, holding a university degree.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ 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
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d e f Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
  5. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de