rationale

Forms

ratiōnāle n (genitive ratiōnālis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin ratiōnālis (“of reason, rational”), its neuter used as a noun.^[2][3] For the high priest's breastplate it renders the Greek λογεῖον (logeîon) or λόγιον (lógion, “oracle”) of the Septuagint in Exodus 28.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It first names the breastplate of the Jewish high priest in the Vulgate's Exodus 28.^[4][5] The Vulgate dates from 390–406 AD.^[6]

Semantic evolution

Du Cange describes the Old Testament ornament, also called logium, as a small cloth of gold, gems and colours fastened to the shoulder garment over the high priest's breast.^[7] In medieval Latin the name passed to a bishop's liturgical ornament, worn either over the shoulders like a scapular or on the breast like a pectoral.^[3][1] Old High German glosses render it with words for a breast-cloth.^[6] English rationale, “an exposition of principles”, is from the same Late Latin noun.^[2]

Timeline

• 390–406 AD – The Vulgate uses it for the high priest's breastplate.^[4][5][6]
• early 9th century – Old High German glosses translate it.^[6]
• second quarter of the 9th century – Walahfrid Strabo uses it.^[6]
• 1650s – English borrows it as rationale, “exposition of principles”.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Late Latin) The breastplate of the Jewish high priest.^[4][5][3][8]
2. (Medieval Latin) A bishop's liturgical ornament worn over the shoulders or on the breast.^[3][6][1]

Related words

• ratio
• English rationale

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
3. ^ a b c d Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
4. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
5. ^ a b c Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
6. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
8. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson