Recordatione

Recordatione is a Latin term used in historical and legal contexts to denote the act of recording events, transactions, or edicts in official registers. Derived from recordatio, recordationis, meaning “a recording” or “recollection,” the form recordatione appears in Latin texts as an ablative singular (often in phrases such as in recordatione or per recordatione). In medieval charters and public records, recordatione signified the formal entry of a deed or edict into the record, establishing documentary proof and priority among involved parties. The practice reflects the bureaucratic organization of record-keeping in medieval and early modern Europe, where scribes and notaries maintained registries and chain-of-title documentation.

In modern scholarship, recordatione is discussed as part of the linguistic and institutional history of legal documentation. The Latin term is largely of historical interest; contemporary legal language in descendants of Latin-based traditions tends to use vernacular forms such as recordazione (Italian) or other equivalents, while English retains the archaic noun recordation in specialized or historical contexts.

Recordatione should not be confused with modern terms for everyday recording in law or administration; its precise usage is tied to the context of Latin charters and archival description. The term illustrates how Latin vocabulary shaped the vocabulary of legal and administrative record-keeping in historical Europe, even as it has largely receded from contemporary practice.