totaliter

Forms

tōtaliter (not comparable)^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin tōtālis + -ter,^[1] and so goes back to tōtus (“whole, all”).^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found in Cassian's Institutes (10.9), meaning wholly or entirely.^[3][4] Georges also cites it in Lactantius' Epitome in the Aldine edition, a reading that Bünemann rejected, perhaps wrongly.^[3]

Semantic evolution

The DMLBS classes it as Late Latin.^[5] Medieval writers used it for “in every part, completely”, as of a cope made wholly of gold, and for “in full, in total” in reckoning sums.^[5][6] It was also used in the scholastic Latin of Thomas Aquinas.^[2]

Timeline

• c. 360–c. 435 AD – Cassian uses it for “wholly”.^[3][4][2]
• 1226 – A patent roll orders money to be applied wholly to the kingdom's use.^[5]
• 1415 – A cope “wholly of gold” is recorded in the Foedera.^[5]

Meanings

Adverb

1. (Late Latin) Wholly, entirely, completely.^[3][4][6]
2. (Medieval Latin) In full number or amount, in total.^[5][1]

References

1. ^ a b c 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 Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
4. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
5. ^ 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
6. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill