concordat
Meaning
A formal agreement or treaty, especially one between the Vatican and a secular government relating to matters of mutual interest.
Structure
Usage
The 1801 concordat between Napoleon and Pope Pius VII redefined the status of the Catholic Church in France.
Negotiating a new concordat was a major step in normalizing diplomatic relations.
The terms of the historic concordat guaranteed the Church certain rights and properties.
Etymology
The word 'concordat' originates from the Latin verb 'concordare', meaning "to be of one heart, to agree". This verb itself is built from the prefix 'con-' (together) and the noun 'cor, cordis' (heart), literally conveying a sense of hearts coming together in harmony. The specific noun form 'concordatum', the neuter past participle of 'concordare', meaning "a thing agreed upon", was adopted into Medieval Latin to denote formal ecclesiastical agreements. Entering English in the early 17th century, the term retained this specialized legal and diplomatic sense, specifically crystallizing around formal pacts between the papacy and sovereign states, thus carrying the ancient metaphor of heartfelt unity into the realm of international law and church-state relations.
Analysis
- con: Latin prefix; meaning "together, with". - cord: Latin root; from "cor, cordis" meaning "heart". - at: Latin suffix; forms nouns of action or state.