repraesentatio

Forms

repraesentātiō f (genitive repraesentātiōnis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from repraesentō “to make present, show; to pay at once” with the suffix -tiō.^[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Cicero, of payment in ready money.^[2] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant payment in ready money, as in Cicero, and the act of bringing before the mind, as in Gellius, and Quintilian and Pliny the Elder use it for a representation, a vivid showing.^[2][5] An inscription uses it of an image, a re-embodiment.^[2] Lewis & Short call it post-Augustan in the sense of representation.^[6]

British Medieval Latin used it for presenting someone before a court.^[7] Through Old French representacion it gave English representation about 1400, “image, likeness”.^[3]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of payment.^[2][4]
• c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses it of vivid description.^[5][4]
• c. 1400 – English representation is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. Payment in cash.^[2]
2. A showing, representation.^[2][5]
3. An image.^[2]

Related words

• repraesentō
• praesēns
• English representation

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ 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