Promised quasi-etymology from Augustine Bk. IV

Jeff and others, here is the etymology I promised.

I was at first inclined to post this in response to Jeff's question about the role of predestination in Augustine's Book IV, but it would have made a lengthy and insufficient response; as well, I didn't want to steer that conversation in a direction unintended by Jeff.

Circuitus
In Sister Sullivan's translation in B/H this appears simply as "period", which offers a somewhat misleading interpretation of Greek periodos. What I'll show below is a quasi-development of two terms simultaneously: periodos and ambitus, since both had in some way influenced Augustine's use of circuitus in Book IV.

1) Greek peri-hodos (“around”-“a going, way, journey”)
2) Greek periodos
3) Latin circuit / ambit ("going around")
3) Latin periodos "complete cycle"
5) Augustine circuitus (via Quintilian)

For Augustine: two or more membra where the rhythm is suspended/held at the end of each phrase except on the last phrase. The introduction to D.W. Robertson's translation helped me discern this. Robertson notes that Sullivan's translation tends to replace the oral convention (for which we have no modern-day equivalent in English) with the closest equivalent in written punctuation. This is not altogether inaccurate, given that we will likely see some conventions from medieval oral delivery as having been transferred onto the punctuation mark that denotes them in written discourse.

Membra
For Augustine: a membrum contains a complete meaning and complete rhythm by itself, but not when it is considered in relation to the whole sentence (Robertson xix). Again, the introduction to Robertson's translation helped me discern this. Previously, I had equated membrum with something like "independent clause," probably because I was always looking to the written translation of Augustine's examples to try to understand the convention. (Duh.) Sullivan notes the Greek kola as membra's earliest origin.

Caesa
As above, I'll try to show a quasi-development of two terms, kommata and caesellum, since both had in some way influenced Augustine's use of caesa in Book IV, although this is by no means an authoritative trace! Sullivan and Robertson note the Greek kommata as caesa's earliest origin.

1) Greek kommata ("pieces which are cut off")
2) Latin caesellum (dim. of caesus "to have cut")
3) Latin cisellum (vernacular use for "cutting tool")
4) Augustine caesum / incisum (via Quintilian)

For Augustine, this was an expression that contains a complete meaning but is delivered with a suspended rhythm (perhaps to denote exchange, invite completion, suggest reciprocity?).


-Tarez