pestilentia Latin · revision 8382

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=Varro|origins=la pestis}}

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''pestilentia''' ''f'' (genitive pestilentiae); first declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is from [[pestilēns]] “unhealthy, pestilent” with the suffix [[-ia]], from [[pestis]] “plague”.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline) De Vaan rejects the old explanation of ⟨pestis⟩ from ⟨*per-sitis⟩ and notes a possible Avestan ⟨*pesti-⟩ “illness” in the name of a disease.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The OLD's earliest citation is from Varro, of an epidemic.^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Varro 116–27 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant an outbreak of epidemic disease, a plague, as in Varro, and in Cicero the unhealthiness of air or land.^(OLD 2012) Lewis & Short add figurative uses for a pernicious influence.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

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+ British Medieval Latin used it for an outbreak of deadly disease, especially the plague of 1348–9, and it served as a reference point for dates.^(DMLBS) It survives in Italian ''pestilenza'' and Spanish ''pestilencia'', and through Old French ''pestilence'' it gave [[en|pestilence]] about 1300.^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of an epidemic.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of unhealthy places.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 1300 – English ''pestilence'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1348–1349 – British Medieval Latin uses it of the Black Death.^(DMLBS)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # An epidemic, [[m|en|plague]], [[m|en|pestilence]].^(OLD 2012)

+ # Unhealthiness of air or land.^(OLD 2012)

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+ ==Word family==

+ * [[pestilentiarius]]

+ * [[pestilentiōsus]]

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[pestis]]

+ * [[pestilēns]]

+ * [[en|pestilence]]

+ * [[en|pest]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}