In medieval philosophy and logic, something that is asserted or claimed as a statement or proposition.
Latin neuter past participle of asserere (to assert, claim). This is a Latin term that appeared in medieval philosophical texts, particularly in logic and rhetoric, where it referred to the object of assertion—the thing being claimed.
Medieval scholars discussing logic and rhetoric would debate the assertum—the actual content of what was being asserted versus who was asserting it. It's the ancestor of modern linguistic terms like 'assertion' and 'propositional content'!
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