Category: vocabulary

1884, a back-formation from hubristic or else from Greek hybris “wanton violence, insolence, outrage,” originally “presumption toward the gods;” the first element probably PIE *ud- “up, out” (see out (adv.)) but the meaning of the second is debated. Spelling hybris is more classically correct and began to appear in English in translations of Nietzsche c. 1911.

late 15c., from Middle French vigilant or directly from Latin vigilantem (nominative vigilans) “watchful, anxious, careful,” present participle of vigilare “to watch, keep awake, not to sleep, be watchful,” from vigil “watchful, awake” (from PIE root *weg- “to be strong, be lively”). Related: Vigilantly.

“replacement of an old obligation by a new one,” 1530s, from Latin novationem (nominative novatio) “a making new, renewal, renovation,” noun of action from past-participle stem of novare “make new, renew, make fresh,” from novus “new” (see new).

c. 1600, “dispute (something), oppose by argument” (a sense now obsolete); 1610s, “to make the subject of verbal contention, debate, discuss; contend against (someone) in argument,” probably a back-formation from controversy. Related: Controverted; controverting; controvertible.

capital (n.2)

1610s, “a person’s wealth,” from Medieval Latin capitale “stock, property,” noun use of neuter of Latin capitalis “capital, chief, first” (see capital (adj.)). From 1640s as “the wealth employed in carrying on a particular business,” then, in a broader sense in political economy, “that part of the produce of industry which is available for further production” (1793).

[The term capital] made its first appearance in medieval Latin as an adjective capitalis (from caput, head) modifying the word pars, to designate the principal sum of a money loan. The principal part of a loan was contrasted with the “usury”–later called interest–the payment made to the lender in addition to the return of the sum lent. This usage, unknown to classical Latin, had become common by the thirteenth century and possibly had begun as early as 1100 A.D., in the first chartered towns of Europe. [Frank A. Fetter, “Reformulation of the Concepts of Capital and Income in Economics and Accounting,” 1937, in “Capital, Interest, & Rent,” 1977]

Also see cattle, and compare sense development of fee, and pecuniary. Middle English had chief money “principal fund” (mid-14c.). The noun use of the adjective in classical Latin meant “a capital crime.”

“suffering, injured, or sick person under medical treatment,” late 14c., from Old French pacient (n.), from the adjective, from Latin patientem “suffering” (see patience). In Middle English also of anyone who suffered patiently.

mid-14c., paciente, “capable of enduring misfortune, suffering, etc., without complaint,” from Old French pacient and directly from Latin patientem “bearing, supporting, suffering, enduring, permitting” (see patience). From late 14c. as “slow to anger, self-restrained, having the temper which endures trials and provocations.” From late 15c. as “awaiting or expecting an outcome calmly and without discontent.” The meaning “pertaining to a medical patient” is late 14c., from the noun. Related: Patiently

late 14c., “to bear, endure (grief, pain, etc.; sense now obsolete), from Old French comporter “endure, admit of, allow; behave” (13c.) and directly from Latin comportare “to bring together, collect,” from com “with, together” (see com-) + portare “to carry” (from PIE root *per- (2) “to lead, pass over”).

Meaning “to agree, accord, be suitable” (with with) is from 1580s. Meaning “to behave, conduct” (with a reflexive pronoun) is from 1610s. Related: Comported; comporting.

late 14c., “origin, source, beginning; rule of conduct; axiom, basic assumption; elemental aspect of a craft or discipline,” from Anglo-French principle, Old French principe “origin, cause, principle,” from Latin principium (plural principia) “a beginning, commencement, origin, first part,” in plural “foundation, elements,” from princeps  (genitive principis) “first man, chief leader; ruler, sovereign,” noun use of adjective meaning “that takes first,” from primus “first” (see prime (adj.)) + root of capere “to take,” from PIE root *kap- “to grasp.” Used absolutely for (good or moral) principle from 1650s.

It is often easier to fight for principles than to live up to them. [Adlai Stevenson, speech, New York City, Aug. 27, 1952]

Scientific sense of “general law of nature” is recorded from 1802. The English -l- apparently is by analogy of participle, etc.

Old English hæðen “not Christian or Jewish,” also as a noun, “heathen man, one of a race or nation which does not acknowledge the God of the Bible” (especially of the Danes), merged with Old Norse heiðinn (adj.) “heathen, pagan,” from Proto-Germanic *haithana- (source also of Old Saxon hedhin, Old Frisian hethen, Dutch heiden, Old High German heidan, German Heiden), which is of uncertain origin.

Perhaps literally “dweller on the heath, one inhabiting uncultivated land;” see heath + -en (2). Historically assumed to be ultimately from Gothic haiþno “gentile, heathen woman,” used by Ulfilas in the first translation of the Bible into a Germanic language (as in Mark vii.26, for “Greek”); like other basic words for exclusively Christian ideas (such as church) it likely would have come first into Gothic and then spread to other Germanic languages. If so it could be a noun use of an unrelated Gothic adjective (compare Gothic haiþi “dwelling on the heath,” but a religious sense is not recorded for this).

Whether native or Gothic, it might have been chosen on model of Latin paganus, with its root sense of “rural” (see pagan), but that word appears relatively late in the religious sense. Or the Germanic word might have been chosen for its resemblance to Greek ethne (see gentile), or it may be a literal borrowing of that Greek word, perhaps via Armenian hethanos [Sophus Bugge]. Boutkan (2005) presents another theory:

It is most probable that the Gmc. word *haiþana- referred to a person living on the heath, i.e. on common land, i.e. a person of one’s own community. It would then be a neutral word used by heathen people in order to refer to each other rather than a Christian, negative word denoting non-Christians.