Etymograph

English

haecceity

Haecceity comes from Medieval Latin haecceitas ‘thisness’, and goes back to haec ‘this, these’.

  1. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500haec‘this, these’
  2. Medieval Latin, derivedc. 600–1500haecceitas‘thisness’
  3. Englishearliest quotation 1681haecceity

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500haec‘this, these’
  2. Medieval Latin, derivedc. 600–1500haecceitas‘thisness’
  3. Englishearliest quotation 1681haecceity

Earliest quotation: 1681, Richard Baxter: “He [Ignatius of Loyola] ſaith not this of ſome…”

Formed from -ity

The story

From Medieval Latin haecceitas (‘thisness’) coined by Duns Scotus (from haec (‘this, these’)) + -ity.

Every English word from Medieval Latin haec

Today it means

noun The essence of a particular thing that gives it its unique particularity; those qualities that make an individual this specific individual and not some other.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Medieval Latin haec / haecceity

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