Etymologically
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totalis

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Pronunciation

  • Ecclesiastical: [toˈtaː.lis][1]

Forms

tōtālis (neuter tōtāle); third-declension two-termination adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin tōtus (“whole, all”) + -ālis.[1][2] The DMLBS starts from the neuter tōtum (“the whole”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is a Medieval Latin word.[1][2] In one of the DMLBS's quotations Adelard of Bath distinguishes a partial from a total eclipse.[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant affecting the whole, and then the whole of a thing taken together.[3] In Ecclesiastical Latin it is glossed “total, entire, whole”, with the adverb tōtaliter.[4] Du Cange quotes it of a full, ringing voice.[5]

The phrase summa totalis “sum total” lies behind English total (late 14th century), which came through Old French total;[6] Italian totale, Spanish total and Dutch totaal were also borrowed from it.[1]

Timeline

  • late 14th century – English total from Old French.[6]
  • 1456 – A letter of Pope Calixtus III to Charles VII of France speaks of a “total eradication” of the followers of Muhammad.[5]
  • 1497 – Burchard's diary uses it of a full voice.[5]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Total, entire, affecting the whole (as of an eclipse).[3][1][4]
  2. Taken as a whole; the whole of, all of.[3]
  3. Of a voice: full, strong.[5]

Word family

  • tōtaliter

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  3. ^ a b c d e 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
  4. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  5. ^ a b c d 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 Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com