causa Latin · revision 2906

+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|attested=Twelve Tables}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈkau̯.sa], [ˈkau̯.saː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈkaːu̯.sa], [ˈkaːu̯.sa]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''causa''' ''f'' (genitive causae); first declension^(Wiktionary)

+ The older spelling ''caussa'' is found in inscriptions until the 1st century BC and was still used by Cicero and Virgil.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Georges 1913)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The origin is uncertain.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) The single /s/ between vowels points to an older double consonant, and Wiktionary reconstructs [[itc-pro|*kaussā]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) Walde and Hofmann took its first meaning to be “a blow” and connected it with [[cudo|alt=cūdō]] “to strike”, and the OLD also thinks it probably related to that verb.^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) Ernout and Meillet doubted that it has an Indo-European origin.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan finds it from the Laws of the Twelve Tables and Naevius onwards.^(de Vaan 2008) Plautus already uses the ablative after a genitive, ''Sosiae causa mea'', “for Sosia's sake, for mine”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Classical Latin it was above all a word of the courts: a lawsuit or trial, the case of one side, and ''causam agere'', to plead a cause.^(OLD 2012) It meant a plea or excuse, a ground or justification, and a motive, and in philosophy a [[m|en|cause]] or causal principle, as in Lucretius and Cicero.^(OLD 2012) It was also the origin or history of something, blame, ties of friendship, a medical case, a situation, and the subject of a speech or poem.^(OLD 2012) The ablative ''causā'' after a genitive meant “for the sake of”, as in ''rei gerundae causa'', “for the conduct of affairs”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ In Late Latin it came to mean simply “a thing”,^(Wiktionary) and Catalan charters speak of the ''causas'' of a church, its property.^(GMLC) Medieval law used it for a charge, an offence, a fine and the administration of justice.^(Niermeyer 1976) With the meaning “thing” it survives as Italian and Spanish ''cosa'', French ''chose'' and Portuguese ''coisa''.^(Wiktionary) English ''cause'' came from French and Latin about 1200.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses ''causā'' for “for the sake of”.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 190–159 BC – Terence uses it for a motive.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it for lawsuits and for causes in philosophy.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 807 – A Catalan charter uses it for things owned by a church.^(GMLC)

+ * c. 1200 – English ''cause'' is first recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(law)'' A lawsuit, trial, case.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # The case or side of a party, ''causam agere'' to plead a cause.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A plea, excuse, pretext.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A ground, reason; a [[m|en|motive]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A [[m|en|cause]]; a causal principle.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # An origin; the derivation (of a word).^(OLD 2012)

+ # Blame, responsibility.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Ties of friendship.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A medical case, symptoms.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A situation, circumstances.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A subject, theme.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''causā'' (with genitive) For the sake of, because of.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(Late Latin)'' A thing.^(Wiktionary)^(GMLC)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' A charge; an offence; a fine.^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[causālis]]

+ * [[causārius]]

+ * [[causidicus]]

+ * [[causificor]]

+ * [[causula]]

+ * [[accūsō]]

+ * [[causor]]

+ * [[excūsō]]

+ * [[incūsō]]

+ * [[recūsō]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[cūdō]]

+ * [[en|cause]]

+ * [[en|accuse]]

+ * [[en|excuse]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Medieval jurists repeated the ancient derivation from [[casus|alt=cāsus]] “event, chance”.^(MLW)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}