Etymologically
Log in

vacantia

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 24 October 2026 at 17:39. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [waˈkan.ti.a][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [vaˈkan.t͡si.a][1]

Forms

vacantia f (genitive vacantiae); first declension[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin vacāns + -ia, the participle being that of vacō (“to be empty, be free”).[2][3][4] The verb goes back to Proto-Italic *wako- (“empty”) and Proto-Indo-European *h₁uh₂-ko-.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Greek–Latin glossaries render it with Greek σχολή (skholḗ, “leisure”), in the sense free time, leisure.[6][7][4]

Semantic evolution

In Medieval Latin it meant a vacancy, especially of an ecclesiastical benefice,[2][1] and the income of a vacant benefice for one year.[7][4][1] Du Cange also records it for an empty space kept free in front of houses, and for the right to succeed to goods when there is no heir.[7]

Middle Low German took it over as vacantie (“day without court sessions”).[4] Among its descendants Wiktionary lists Catalan vacança and the Dutch borrowing vakantie,[1] and English vacancy (c. 1600) comes from it.[3]

Timeline

  • 1386 – A charter has vacantia for an empty space left free as a public way.[7]
  • 1399 – The records of English church councils speak of the first or second vacantiae of benefices.[2]
  • 1415 – A document asks that the vacantiae, the annual income of vacant benefices, be abolished.[7]
  • c. 1600 – English borrows it as vacancy.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (Medieval Latin) Free time, leisure.[7][4][1]
  2. (Medieval Latin) A vacancy, especially of a benefice.[2][1]
  3. (Medieval Latin) The annual income of a vacant ecclesiastical benefice.[7][4][1]
  4. (Medieval Latin, law) The right to succeed to goods when there is no heir; escheat.[7]
  5. (Medieval Latin) An empty space.[7]
  • English vacancy

Usage notes

The same spelling is also the neuter plural of vacāns, used for vacant estates and for superfluous things.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d 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
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  6. ^ Goetz, Georg (1888–1923), Corpus glossariorum Latinorum, Leipzig: Teubner; vols. VI–VII Thesaurus glossarum emendatarum, digital ed. CGLO, Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre