Full Idea
The de dicto-de re modality distinction dates back to Abelard.
Gist of Idea
The de dicto-de re modality distinction dates back to Abelard
Source
report of Peter Abelard (works [1135]) by Alex Orenstein - W.V. Quine Ch.7
Book Reference
Orenstein,Alex: 'W.V. Quine' [Princeton 2002], p.155
A Reaction
Most modern philosophers couldn't (apparently) care less where a concept originated, but one of the principles of this database is that such things do matter. I'm not sure why, but if we want the whole picture, we need the historical picture.