relapsus

Forms

relāpsus m (genitive relāpsūs); fourth declension^[1][2]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin relābor (“to slip back”) + -tus³, with the participle stem ⟨relāps-⟩.^[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Latham's first record is from 1324,^[1] in the proceedings against Kyteler, where it means a falling back into heresy.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Osbern of Gloucester lists it in his Derivationes in the literal sense “a falling backwards”.^[2] Its usual sense was relapse into error, above all heresy: in English church records a heretic abjured his errors under pain of a public relapse.^[2] Medieval Latin also had an adjective relapsus, “relapsed”.^[1] English took relapse as a noun in the mid-15th century, from the English verb or from Medieval Latin relapsus.^[3]

Timeline

• 1324 – It appears in the proceedings against Kyteler.^[1][2]
• 1401 – A church council record mentions a sentence for relapse.^[2]
• 1422 – A Canterbury register has a heretic abjure under pain of public relapse.^[2]
• mid-15th century – English has the noun relapse, perhaps from Medieval Latin relapsus.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. A falling backwards.^[2]
2. A falling back into error, especially heresy; relapse.^[2][1]

Related words

• relabor
• English relapse

Usage notes

The form is also the perfect participle of relābor, “slipped back”.^[4][5]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
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 Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
5. ^ Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier