contractio Latin · revision 35700

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=81–43 BC, Cicero|origins=la trahō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [kɔnˈtrak.ti.oː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [konˈtrak.t͡si.o]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''contractiō''' ''f'' (genitive contractiōnis); third declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|la|contrahō|-tiō|t1=to draw together, shorten]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(TLL)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLL and Köbler find it first in Cicero,^(TLL)^(Köbler 2010) who uses it of a frown, of the knitting of the brows and of the bending of the fingers.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Conte 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Lewis and Short note that it belongs to good prose and is commonest in Cicero.^(Lewis & Short 1879) Its physical sense is a drawing together of parts of the body, set against stretching out: the bending of the fingers, the drawing in of the arm, a frown, the shrugging of the shoulders in Quintilian.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Conte 2010) In medicine it was a contraction of the sinews, a cramp, in Scribonius Largus, Pliny the Elder and Seneca.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Conte 2010)

+

+ Cicero also uses it of the mind, for a depression or dejection opposed to the expansion of joy, of a compression of speech, of shortening a page, and in prosody of the shortening of a syllable as opposed to lengthening.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Conte 2010) In Gaius' law textbook it is the bringing together of property.^(Lewis & Short 1879) Medieval Latin used it for a contract and for marriage.^(Niermeyer 1976) English [[m|en|contraction]] was borrowed in the early 15th century, first for making a contract (especially of marriage) and also for shortening.^(Etymonline) It survives in [[it|contrazione]].^(Conte 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

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

+ * c. 47 AD – Scribonius Largus uses it of a cramp.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses it of shrugging the shoulders.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 140–180 AD – Gaius uses it of the bringing together of property.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * early 15th century – English borrows it as [[m|en|contraction]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A drawing together, [[m|en|contraction]] (of a part of the body); ''(medicine)'' a contraction of the sinews, a [[m|en|cramp]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Conte 2010)

+ # ''(with animī)'' Depression, [[m|en|dejection]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # A compression, shortening (of speech, of a page); ''(prosody)'' the shortening of a syllable.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' A contract; marriage.^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[contractiuncula]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[contrāctus]]

+ * [[contrāctūra]]

+ * [[contrahō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}