turbulentia

Forms

turbulentia f (genitive turbulentiae); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin turbulentus (“disturbed, stormy”).^[1][2][3] Its base is turba (“commotion, crowd”), whose further origin de Vaan finds very uncertain.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Tertullian (c. 160–220 AD) uses it, in his treatise against Hermogenes of disquiet or confusion, and against Praxeas of a clouding.^[2][5][6]

Semantic evolution

L&S calls the word post-Classical.^[3] After Tertullian it is found in Gregory the Great.^[5] In medieval Latin it meant disturbance or commotion,^[7] and British writers used it of storms, of agitated affairs and of anger.^[8] English turbulence (early 15th century) is from it.^[9]

Timeline

• c. 160–220 AD – Tertullian uses it of disquiet and of a clouding.^[2][5][6]
• 540–604 AD – Gregory the Great uses it of confusion.^[5][6]
• early 15th century – English borrows it as turbulence.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. Disquiet, trouble, confusion.^[3][2][5]
2. A clouding, making turbid.^[5]
3. (Medieval Latin) Disturbance, commotion; turbulence.^[7][8]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
3. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b c d e f Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ 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
9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com