festivitas Latin · revision 8213

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=Plautus|origins=la fēstus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [feːsˈtiː.wɪ.taːs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [fesˈtiː.vi.tas]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''fēstīvitās''' ''f'' (genitive fēstīvitātis); third declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is from [[fēstīvus]] “festive”, from [[fēstus]] “of a holiday”, with the suffix [[-tās]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline) Isidore derived it from the feast days on which only divine business was done.^(Isidore)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, of conviviality.^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant festivity, gaiety, conviviality, as in Plautus, and in Terence charm, and as an endearment “my delight”.^(OLD 2012) The ''Rhetorica ad Herennium'' uses it of liveliness and wit in a speaker.^(OLD 2012) Döderlein explains that ''lepōs'', ''facētiae'' and ''fēstīvitās'' are kindly wit, opposed only to seriousness.^(Döderlein 1874)

+

+ In Christian Latin it meant a church festival.^(Niermeyer 1976)^(Stelten 1995) British Medieval Latin used it for festivity, joy, liveliness and charm.^(DMLBS) It survives in Italian ''festività'' and Spanish ''festividad'', and through Old French it gave [[en|festivity]] in the late 14th century.^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of conviviality.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of charm.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 86/82 BC – The ''Rhetorica ad Herennium'' uses it of wit.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * late 14th century – English ''festivity'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|Festivity]], gaiety.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Charm, and as an endearment “my delight”.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Liveliness, wit.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(Ecclesiastical Latin)'' A church [[m|en|festival]].^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[fēstīvālis]]

+ * [[fēstīvē]]

+ * [[fēstīviter]]

+ * [[fēstīvum]]

+ * [[fēstīvus]]

+ * [[fēstum]]

+ * [[fēstus]]

+ * [[en|festivity]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Döderlein distinguishes it from [[lepōs]] and [[facētia|alt=facētiae]].^(Döderlein 1874)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}