Etymologically
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repraesentativus

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Forms

repraesentātīvus (feminine repraesentātīva, neuter repraesentātīvum); first/second-declension adjective[1][2] Köbler also records the spelling reprēsentātīvus.[1]

Etymology

It is Medieval Latin,[1] from Latin repraesentō (“to show, exhibit; to make present”), formed on its perfect participle ⟨repraesentātus⟩ with the suffix -īvus.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first record is from about 1270, in the sense “representing, standing for”.[1]

Semantic evolution

In scholastic philosophy it describes what makes a thing present to the mind: Peckham, Richard of Middleton and Duns Scotus use it of ideas and species that represent things, and Duns Scotus distinguishes an image, which represents the whole, from a trace, which represents a part.[2] Thomas Aquinas has imago repraesentativa and verbum repraesentativum.[3] It could also mean that depicts or displays something to the eye, as a disc showing the wounds of Christ.[2][4]

English representative (1580s) comes from French or directly from this word.[5]

Timeline

  • c. 1270 – First record in the sense “representing”.[1]
  • 1580s – English representative is formed from it or from French.[5]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. (Medieval Latin) That depicts or displays something to the senses.[2][4]
  2. (Medieval Latin, philosophy) That makes something present to the mind; representative.[2][3]
  3. (Medieval Latin, neuter as noun) That which represents something.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  2. ^ a b c d e f g 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 Schütz, Ludwig (1895), Thomas-Lexikon, 2nd ed., Paderborn: F. Schöningh
  4. ^ a b du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
  5. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com