infirmitas Latin · revision 31529

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=190–159 BC, Terence|origins=ine-pro *dʰer-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [ĩːˈfɪr.mɪ.taːs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [iɱˈfir.mi.tas]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''īnfirmitās''' ''f'' (genitive īnfirmitātis); third declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|la|īnfirmus|-tās]], from the adjective “weak”,^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Lewis & Short 1879) which is formed from [[m|la|in-|t=not]] and [[firmus|t=strong, firm]].^(Wiktionary) De Vaan derives ⟨firmus⟩ from [[itc-pro|*fermo-]] and [[ine-pro|*dʰer-mo-|t=holding]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan dates it from Terence,^(de Vaan 2008) who asks what weakness, that is instability, a marriage still has.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It is lack of strength or weakness, as Varro's vine shoot barren from weakness, and of people frailness of body or health, as Cicero's weak lungs; in Pliny the Younger it is an illness.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) It is also defencelessness or lack of military strength, weakness in operation or ineffectiveness, weakness of character, and instability, immaturity of mind or unreliability, as Quintilian's warning not to overload the immaturity of learners.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Church Latin glosses it “infirmity, sickness, disease, weakness”,^(Stelten 1995) and in medieval Latin it is invalidity or illness.^(Niermeyer 1976) English ''infirmity'', from the late 14th century, is from French and directly from Latin.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 190–159 BC – Terence of the instability of a marriage.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 116–27 BC – Varro of a weak vine shoot.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero of weak health and of human frailty.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * late 14th century – English [[m|en|infirmity]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Lack of strength, weakness, [[m|en|feebleness]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Frailness of body; ill health, [[m|en|sickness]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)^(Niermeyer 1976)

+ # Defencelessness; lack of military strength.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Ineffectiveness, inadequacy.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Weakness of character; instability, immaturity, unreliability.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[īnfirmus]]

+ * [[firmus]]

+ * [[firmitās]]

+ * [[en|infirmity]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}