Visitacioun

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An official or formal call made to inspect, examine or oversee a place or people ; a spiritual blessing or punishment believed to be sent down by God
2. A formal inspection carried out by a superior or authority figure ; a trial or favour believed to be delivered directly from heaven
3. The act of an official calling in to examine a community or institution ; an event or hardship regarded as a sign of divine judgment or grace

Etymology: Middle English "visitacioun" comes from Old French "visitation," which passed into English from Latin "visitatio," a noun built from "visitare," "to go to see" (the frequentative of "visere," "to look at"). The Latin sense was simply a going to see someone, and the Christian Church gave the word its religious weight: the Visitation was the visit Mary paid to her cousin Elizabeth, recorded in the Gospel of Luke, when both women were pregnant. From that sense of a divine look-in came the idea of God visiting people, either to reward or to punish them. Medieval writers used the word for afflictions sent from heaven, such as plagues or misfortunes, and also for blessings. The sense of an official inspection came later: a bishop or superior made a formal visitation to check on a parish, monastery, or diocese, examining its records and conduct.