Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A principle, especially a basic one.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun One of four solemn argumentations formerly held by every sententiary bachelor in theology, one upon each of the four books of Peter Lombard's “Sentences.”
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
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Examples
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Although principium is Latin for beginning, principis means prince or leader.
Cracking the Shakespeare Code - The Lede Blog - NYTimes.com 2009
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Lucas, This dictionary Web site suggests that a similar but different word -- "principium" -- is a Latin word for "beginning," not "principum.
Cracking the Shakespeare Code - The Lede Blog - NYTimes.com 2009
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The word, derived from the Latin "principium", meaning a foundation, beginning, source, origin, or cause, has, because a cause implies an effect, acquired in correct usage the significance of a true statement of relationship between cause and effect.
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But for the use of arche in the sense and with the force which we here demand for it, as "principium," not "initium" (though these Latin words do not adequately reproduce the distinction), compare the Gospel of Nicodemus, c. 25, in which Hades addresses Satan as he tou thanatou arche kai rhiza tes hamartias; and further, Dionysius the Areopagite (c. 15): ho Theos estin panton aitia kai arche; and again, Clement of Alexandria (Strom.iv. 25): ho Theos de anarchos, arche ton holon panteles.
Epistles to the Seven Churches in Asia. 1807-1886 1863
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June, 1439) that they recognized the procession of the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son as from one "principium" (arche) and from one cause (aitia).
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 6: Fathers of the Church-Gregory XI 1840-1916 1913
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Sed, si in infinitum procederetur, non esset demonstratio; quia quaelibet demonstrationis conclusio redditur certa per reductionem eius in primum demonstrationis principium: quod non esset si in infinitum demonstratio sursum procederet.
June 18th, 2009 m_francis 2009
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Note 274: Egidius Romanus, De regimine principium (I.V. #200, 248).
Architecture and Memory: The Renaissance Studioli of Federico da Montefeltro 2008
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Lost, Milton "apostrophizes the devil as the true principium individuationis, a concept which has been anticipated by the alchemists for some time before."
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In place of illustrated problems, he combined aspects of the De regimine principium, a contemporary treatise on princely rule composed by the Augustinian Egidius Romanus,274 with a historic account of the chessboard and commentaries on each chess piece.
Architecture and Memory: The Renaissance Studioli of Federico da Montefeltro 2008
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It may be that “princeps” is intended, which would make principium genitive plural, as in the Horatian ode — “of princes.”
Cracking the Shakespeare Code - The Lede Blog - NYTimes.com 2009
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