regeneratio

Forms

regenerātiō f (genitive regenerātiōnis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin regenerō (“to generate again”) + -tiō.^[1][2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Tertullian (c. 160–220 AD) uses it for spiritual rebirth.^[4][5]

Semantic evolution

Cyprian has it in his letters,^[6] and the Vulgate uses it in Matthew 19:28 and in the Letter to Titus, whose lavacrum regenerātiōnis (“washing of regeneration”) Augustine applies to baptism.^[2][6] In Ecclesiastical Latin it is rebirth and renewal.^[7]

Medieval Latin used it for baptism and for salvation,^[8] and in Britain also for the regrowth of crops and of flesh.^[9] English took it in the mid-14th century as regeneracioun, at first in a spiritual sense.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 160–220 AD – Tertullian uses it for spiritual rebirth.^[4][5]
• beginning of the 3rd century–258 AD – Cyprian uses it in his letters.^[6][5]
• 390–406 AD – The Vulgate uses it in Matthew 19:28 and Titus 3:5;^[2][6][5] Augustine (354–430) applies the phrase lavacrum regenerātiōnis to baptism.^[2][6][5]
• mid-14th century – English borrows it, partly through Old French, as regeneracioun.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Ecclesiastical Latin) Spiritual rebirth, regeneration.^[2][7][4]
2. Renewal, rebirth in general.^[4][7]
3. (Medieval Latin) baptism; salvation.^[8]
4. (Medieval Latin) Regrowth, of crops or of flesh.^[9]

Related words

• English regeneration

References

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