Etymologically
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specialiter

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Forms

speciāliter (comparative speciālius)[1][2]

Etymology

It is from Latin speciālis (“particular, special”) + -ter.[1] Köbler traces it further to speciēs (“appearance, kind”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in Celsus (14–37 AD),[3] meaning “specially, distinctly” (5.24.4).[2]

Semantic evolution

Its main sense was “in particular, individually”, the opposite of generaliter.[1][4] Columella used it for treating vines by their varieties rather than all together,[1][2] and Quintilian also has it.[2] In Ecclesiastical Latin it means “especially, in particular”.[5]

Timeline

  • 14–37 AD – Celsus uses it.[2][3]
  • 1st century AD – Columella uses it of vines kept apart by variety.[1][2][3]
  • c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses it.[2][3]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. In particular, specifically, individually.[1][4][2]
  2. According to species or variety.[1][2]
  3. (Ecclesiastical Latin) Especially.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  3. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  5. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson