sensatio

Forms

sēnsātiō f (genitive sēnsātiōnis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin sēnsus (“sense, feeling”) + -ātiō, perhaps formed on the adjective sēnsātus (“endowed with sense”).^[1][2][3] It is the source of French sensation and Italian sensazione,^[1][4] and partly through French of English sensation.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It first appears in the old Latin translation of Irenaeus,^[4][5][2] where it renders the Greek word for thought: haec autem enthȳmēsis … velut probāta, sēnsātiō nōminātur, “this reflection, once it has as it were been tested, is called sensatio”.^[5]

Semantic evolution

In the translation of Irenaeus it means understanding, thought or knowledge, and once perhaps “form”.^[4][5] Scholastic philosophy used it for sense perception: Thomas Aquinas has it for knowledge through the senses,^[6] and British writers list sēnsātiō with imagination, judgement and memory among the acts of the senses.^[7] English borrowed it in the 1610s for a reaction of the sense organs to a stimulus.^[3]

Timeline

• 4th century AD (?) – The Latin translation of Irenaeus uses it for thought and understanding.^[2][4][5]
• 1610s – Borrowed into English as sensation.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Late Latin) understanding, intelligence, knowledge; thought.^[1][5][4]
2. (Medieval Latin) Sense perception, sensation.^[7][6]

Related words

• sēnsus
• sentiō

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
3. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c d e 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 du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
6. ^ a b Schütz, Ludwig (1895), Thomas-Lexikon, 2nd ed., Paderborn: F. Schöningh
7. ^ 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