L. informatio Latin etymology Thread poster: dsutherland
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I am trying to track down the etymology of L. informatio (concept or idea). Most IT-related sources suggest that the etymology of Eng. 'information' is from L. informare--using L. in- in the sense of 'to', to form or shape the mind. However, as a neuroscientist, it makes more sense to me that L. informatio uses L. in- in the sense of 'not', contrasting a concept or idea with something that exists 'out there, in the world'. Any comments or sources will be greatly appreciated! Duncan ... See more I am trying to track down the etymology of L. informatio (concept or idea). Most IT-related sources suggest that the etymology of Eng. 'information' is from L. informare--using L. in- in the sense of 'to', to form or shape the mind. However, as a neuroscientist, it makes more sense to me that L. informatio uses L. in- in the sense of 'not', contrasting a concept or idea with something that exists 'out there, in the world'. Any comments or sources will be greatly appreciated! Duncan
[Subject edited by staff or moderator 2009-07-29 18:37 GMT] ▲ Collapse | | |
Hello Duncan! "INFORMATIO" in Latin comes from verb INFORMO. The noun means "project, design, draft" and, sensu lato, "idea, notion, conception, representation". Funnily enough, Santiago Segura's Etymological Dictionary says that INFORMATIO also meant "ETYMOLOGY" in Latin From this word comes in Latin "INFORMATOR" (he who instructs or educates). The verb, INFORMO (INFORMARE) co... See more Hello Duncan! "INFORMATIO" in Latin comes from verb INFORMO. The noun means "project, design, draft" and, sensu lato, "idea, notion, conception, representation". Funnily enough, Santiago Segura's Etymological Dictionary says that INFORMATIO also meant "ETYMOLOGY" in Latin From this word comes in Latin "INFORMATOR" (he who instructs or educates). The verb, INFORMO (INFORMARE) comes from IN + FORMO, meaning "to shape, give shape, model something" and, in figured sense, to represent ideally, to describe, to draft, to model (spiritually), to organise, to educate... "ANIMUS BENE INFORMATUS A NATURA" (The soul naturally well organized) VIRTUTEM INFORMARE: to get an idea of virtue... "Informar" appears in Spanish first in 1444. "Informe" in 1734. I hope this helps a bit? Flavio ▲ Collapse | | |
Dear Duncan, I forgot to mention, that here "IN" cannot be taken as a negative prefix. INFORMIS is an adjective that DOES feature "in" with a negative meaning, but then it means "WITHOUT A SHAPE" --> FORMLESS, SHAPELESS, even DEFORMED or UGLY. Figured sense, HIDEOUS. It is definitely not the case for "INFORMATION". Here the prefix "in" has the other meaning. Best wishes! Flavio | | | Thank you... | Jul 29, 2009 |
...for taking the time to reply, Flavio! Duncan | |
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Perfect explanation | Jul 30, 2009 |
Hi Fabio Let me agree with your very clear explanation Bye bye Angio | | | Yaotl Altan Mexico Local time: 18:07 Member (2006) English to Spanish + ... Flavio rocks! | Jul 30, 2009 |
Wow, Flavio, can you please suggest us a good Latin book? thanx! | | | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » L. informatio Latin etymology Wordfast Pro | Translation Memory Software for Any Platform
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