ventilatio

Forms

ventilātiō f (genitive ventilātiōnis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin ventilō + -tiō.^[2][1] The verb ventilō (“to fan, winnow”) comes from ventulus (“slight wind”),^[1] a diminutive of ventus (“wind”),^[3] which de Vaan traces to Proto-Italic *wē̆nto- and Proto-Indo-European *h₂ueh₁-nt-o- (“wind”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Pliny the Elder (23/24–79 AD) has it first, for the airing of grapes.^[2][5][6][3]

Semantic evolution

In Christian Latin it took the sense of its verb “to winnow”: Augustine uses it for the winnowing of grain and figuratively for the final separation of the good from the wicked at the Last Judgement,^[6][7][8] and Arnobius the Younger speaks of the gusts of the vices and uses it for a debate.^[8] Medieval Latin kept “winnowing”, the season of winnowing, and “discussion, revelation”;^[9][10] British writers also used it for a blowing of air and for breath.^[11] English ventilation comes from it.^[12]

Timeline

• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses it for the airing of grapes.^[2][3]
• 354–430 AD – Augustine uses it for winnowing and for the separation of good and evil.^[6][3]
• 1174 – A charter of Corbie uses it for the time of winnowing.^[10]
• 1510s – English ventilation is recorded, from this word.^[12]

Meanings

Noun

1. Exposure to moving air, airing, ventilation.^[2][5][7]
2. (Late Latin) Winnowing; figuratively, the separation of good from evil at the Last Judgement.^[6][7][8]
3. (Late Latin) A debate, discussion; a making public.^[8][9]
4. (Medieval Latin) The season of winnowing.^[9][10]
5. (Medieval Latin) A blowing of air; breath.^[11]

Related words

• ventilō
• ventus
• English ventilation

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
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 Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c d Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
7. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
8. ^ a b c d Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
9. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
10. ^ a b c du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
11. ^ 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
12. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com