debilitas Latin · revision 33139

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=81–43 BC, Cicero|origins=ine-pro *bel-o-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [deːˈbɪ.lɪ.taːs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [deˈbiː.li.tas]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''dēbilitās''' ''f'' (genitive dēbilitātis); third declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|la|dēbilis|-tās|t1=weak, crippled]].^(OLD 2012)^(TLL)^(Köbler 2010) De Vaan explains [[m|la|dēbilis]] as an old compound of [[m|la|dē-]] with a noun for strength, from [[ine-pro|*bel-o-|t=strength, power]], cognate with [[sa|बल|tr=bála|t=strength]] and [[grc|βέλτερος|tr=bélteros|t=better]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Cicero uses it of the weakness of the tongue in the speech against Piso, and in the ''De finibus'' of weakness of mind and of bodily infirmity as an evil.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It is lameness, infirmity or physical weakness, of the limbs in Livy, of a foot in Labeo as Gellius quotes him, of the feet in Tacitus, and of the body in Suetonius.^(Lewis & Short 1879) It is also feebleness of mind or character, and Martial uses it of the effeminate weakness of the galliambic metre.^(OLD 2012) Stelten gives “weakness, infirmity, debility”.^(Stelten 1995) English [[m|en|debility]] appears in the early 15th century, from Old French or directly from Latin.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero, of weakness of body and mind.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 59 BC–17 AD – Livy, of weakness of the limbs.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 40–102/103 AD – Martial, of a feeble metre.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * early 15th century – [[m|en|debility]] appears in English.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Physical weakness, [[m|en|lameness]], [[m|en|infirmity]], [[m|en|debility]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)

+ # Feebleness of mind or character.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[dēbilitō]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[dēbilis]]

+ * [[en|debility]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}