Formacione

Formacione is a term that appears chiefly as an archaic or nonstandard spelling used to convey the concept of formation—the process of forming or the result of that process. In contemporary English and standard Romance-language orthography, the corresponding forms are formation (English), formazione (Italian), formación (Spanish), and formation (French). Because formacione is not part of modern standard usage, its meaning must be inferred from context or from historical texts.

Origins and meaning are tied to the broader family of words derived from the Latin formatio, which denotes shaping, structuring, or constituting. As Latin evolved into the Romance languages, related terms developed in various spellings, most of which have become standardized in modern use as formation or its equivalents.

Usage and notes: In modern scholarship, formacione is rarely if ever used; readers should substitute formation or the appropriate modern equivalent. If encountered in a historical document, it may indicate an old orthography or a Latinized spelling. In geology or related fields, the standard term in English is formation, used to name a stratigraphic unit; Romance-language texts will employ formación or formazione for that sense. Formacione may also appear in linguistic discussions about historical spellings or in critical editions that preserve ancient wording.

See also: formation; formación; formazione.