A state of being affected, influenced, or moved emotionally; a disposition of mind.
Direct Latin noun meaning 'a state of mind' or 'emotional disposition,' from 'afficere' (to influence). Used in medieval and Renaissance philosophy as a technical term for passions and emotions.
Medieval scholars debated 'affectus' intensely as they tried to explain how human emotions differ from animal instincts—the word became a bridge between Latin philosophical precision and emerging European languages.
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