fragilitas Latin · revision 33833

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

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

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

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''fragilitās''' ''f'' (genitive fragilitātis); third declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|la|fragilis|-tās|t1=brittle, frail]].^(OLD 2012)^(TLL)^(Köbler 2010) The adjective belongs to [[m|la|frangō|t=to break]], which de Vaan traces to [[ine-pro|*bʰr-n-ǵ-|t=to break]], with Germanic cognates such as [[goh|brehhan|t=to break]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Cicero uses it of human frailty: in the ''Tusculans'' of fearing the weakness and frailty of mankind, and in the speech for Marcellus of the frailty of our common nature.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Its literal sense, brittleness, is found in Seneca, of crystal vessels whose fragility raises their price, and in Pliny the Elder, of frankincense judged by its brittleness and of iron made brittle by quenching in water.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Figuratively it is frailty, uncertainty or impermanence, as Pliny the Younger has of mortality and Apuleius of human good faith.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(OLD 2012) The TLL notes that it is very frequent in Church writers.^(TLL) In Christian and Medieval Latin it is above all moral weakness.^(Niermeyer 1976)^(Stelten 1995) English [[m|en|fragility]] and [[m|en|frailty]] both come from it through Old French, in the 14th century.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero, of human frailty.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca, of fragile crystal.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder, of brittle frankincense and iron.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * mid-14th century – [[m|en|frailty]] appears in English, through Old French.^(Etymonline)

+ * late 14th century – [[m|en|fragility]], first in the sense “moral weakness”.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|brittleness|alt=Brittleness]], [[m|en|fragility]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)

+ # [[m|en|frailty|alt=Frailty]], weakness; uncertainty, impermanence.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)

+ # ''(Ecclesiastical and Medieval Latin)'' Moral weakness.^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[fragilis]]

+ * [[frangō]]

+ * [[en|fragility]]

+ * [[en|frailty]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}