replicação

Forms

replicação f (plural replicações)^[1] Houaiss records repricaçom in 1441 and replicaçom and the plural replicaçõoes in the 15th century.^[2] Cunha also has repricaçom in the 15th century.^[3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin replicātiō (“a rolling back; a reply”).^[2][3][1] Nascentes calls it a semi-learned word.^[4] Wiktionary adds that it can be analysed in Portuguese as replicar with the suffix -ção.^[1]

The Latin noun is formed from replicō (“to fold back; to reply”) and -tiō.^[5][1] Cicero used it for a contrary rotation of the heavens, translating Ancient Greek ἀνείλιξις (aneílixis), and in the law it was the plaintiff's answer to the defendant's plea.^[5][6] Medieval Latin also used it for "reply" and "repetition".^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Houaiss's first record is from 1441, spelt repricaçom.^[2] His first senses are those of réplica, "the act of replying" and "a sharp retort".^[2]

Semantic evolution

Bluteau (1712–1728) marks it as a term of theology: the presence of Christ in each Host is neither a production nor a multiplication but a replicação, the same individual repeated in many places.^[8] Vieira (1871–1874) gives only "the act and effect of replying".^[9] Silva Bastos (1912) defines it as "reply, objection".^[10]

The modern dictionaries add the genetic sense, the copying of a DNA molecule from an existing template, with the term replicação semiconservativa.^[2][11][12] Houaiss also uses it for the multiplication of a cell by mitosis.^[2]

Timeline

• 1441 – first record, spelt repricaçom.^[2]
• 1400s – replicaçom and the plural replicaçõoes.^[2][3]
• 1712–1728 – Bluteau enters it as a theological term.^[8]
• 1871–1874 – Vieira defines it as the act of replying.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. The act or effect of replying (replicar); a réplica, especially a sharp retort.^[2][13]
2. An objection, a counter-argument.^[2][14]
3. (genetics) The replication of a DNA molecule, copied from an existing template.^[2][11][1]
4. (genetics) The multiplication of a cell by mitosis (mitose).^[2]

Related words

• replicar
• réplica
• Latin replicātiō

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Houaiss, Antônio; Villar, Mauro de Salles (2001), Dicionário Houaiss da língua portuguesa, Rio de Janeiro: Objetiva, p. s.v. replicação
3. ^ a b c Cunha, Antônio Geraldo da (2010), Dicionário etimológico da língua portuguesa, 4th ed., Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon, p. s.v. replicar
4. ^ Nascentes, Antenor (1966), Dicionário etimológico resumido, Rio de Janeiro: Instituto Nacional do Livro, p. s.v. replicação
5. ^ a b Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. s.v. replicātiō
6. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press, p. s.v. replicatio
7. ^ Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. replicatio
8. ^ a b Bluteau, Raphael (1712–1728), Vocabulario portuguez e latino, 8 vols. + 2 supplement vols., Coimbra / Lisboa (CLP transcription, Universidade de Aveiro), p. s.v. replicação
9. ^ a b Vieira, Frei Domingos (1871–1874), Grande Diccionario Portuguez ou Thesouro da lingua portugueza, 5 vols., Porto: Ernesto Chardron e Bartholomeu H. de Moraes, p. 5, 215
10. ^ Silva Bastos, José Timóteo da (1912), Diccionario etymologico, prosodico e orthographico da lingua portugueza, Lisboa: Parceria António Maria Pereira, p. s.v. replicação
11. ^ a b Ferreira, Aurélio Buarque de Holanda, Novo dicionário Aurélio da língua portuguesa, digital edition, p. s.v. replicação
12. ^ Academia das Ciências de Lisboa, Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa, revised online edition (2023–) of the Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa Contemporânea (2001), https://dicionario.acad-ciencias.pt, p. s.v. replicação
13. ^ Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa, Lisboa: Priberam Informática, https://dicionario.priberam.org, p. s.v. replicação
14. ^ Porto Editora (2013), Grande Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa, Porto: Porto Editora, p. 8004