locura

Forms

locura f (plural locuras)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Spanish loco + -ura.^[2][1][3] The base adjective is of uncertain origin;^[4] Corominas and the DLE suggest, with a “perhaps”, an Arabic source, Andalusian Arabic *láwqa, from Arabic لوقاء (lawqāʔ), the feminine of ألوق (ʔalwaq, “stupid”).^[5][3][4]

The same formation is found in Old Galician-Portuguese loucura (“foolishness, imprudence”), frequent in the Galician-Portuguese Cantigas, and Asturian llocura.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The word is already in the Cantar de mio Cid (c. 1140, in a 14th-century copy), where the Cid says it would be grand locura “great folly” to abandon Valencia, which had cost him so dear.^[5][6][7] The Fuero de Zorita de los Canes (1218–c. 1250) uses it for the carelessness through which a servant loses his master's goods: por su culpa nin por su locura.^[6]

Semantic evolution

Like loco, the noun had both senses from the start: the loss of reason, as when a 13th-century Bible translates Latin dementia with it, and foolishness or imprudence.^[5] Nebrija's Latin–Spanish dictionary (1492) uses it to render amentia, dementia, insania and stultitia,^[8] and his Spanish–Latin vocabulary gives furor and insania.^[9] Covarrubias in 1611 gives insania and dementia and records loquear “to act madly” and casa de locos “madhouse”.^[10]

The Diccionario de Autoridades defined it as an illness that takes away judgement, and also as nonsense and great folly.^[11] The Academy's 1884 edition records the proverb Si la locura fuese dolores, en cada casa habría voces “if madness were pain, every house would ring with cries”.^[12] Modern use adds an astonishing act and a state of excitement or wild enthusiasm, and the phrases con locura “madly, enormously” and de locura “extraordinary”.^[2][13]

Timeline

• c. 1140 – the Cantar de mio Cid has grand locura “great folly” (in a 14th-century copy).^[5][6]
• 1218–c. 1250 – the Fuero de Zorita de los Canes, the first record without a later copy.^[6]
• 13th century – a Bible manuscript translates Latin dementia with it.^[5]
• 1492 – Nebrija renders Latin insania, dementia and stultitia with it.^[8]
• 1611 – Covarrubias records loquear and casa de locos.^[10]
• 1726–1739 – the Diccionario de Autoridades defines it as an illness that deprives one of judgement.^[11]
• 1884 – the Academy records the proverb Si la locura fuese dolores, en cada casa habría voces.^[12]

Meanings

Noun

1. madness, insanity: loss of judgement or of the use of reason.^[2][1]
2. folly: a foolish or very rash act or decision: Salir con esta tormenta es una locura.^[2][1]
3. An act that surprises by being out of the ordinary.^[2][1]
4. A state of excitement caused by some feeling; wild enthusiasm or excessive affection for someone or something.^[2][13]

Related words

• delirio
• loco
• enloquecer
• Portuguese loucura

Usage notes

Con locura means “madly, enormously” (la quiere con locura), and de locura “extraordinary”, as in una noche de locura.^[2][13]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Real Academia Española; Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española (2014–), Diccionario de la lengua española, 23rd ed., online version 23.8, https://dle.rae.es, p. s.v. locura
3. ^ a b Corominas, Joan (1973), Breve diccionario etimológico de la lengua castellana, 3rd ed., Madrid: Gredos, p. s.v. loco
4. ^ a b Real Academia Española; Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española (2014–), Diccionario de la lengua española, 23rd ed., online version 23.8, https://dle.rae.es, p. s.v. loco
5. ^ a b c d e f Corominas, Joan; Pascual, José A. (1980–1991), Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico, 6 vols., Madrid: Gredos, p. 3, 683
6. ^ a b c d Real Academia Española (2013–), Corpus del Diccionario histórico de la lengua española (CDH), version 3.1, https://apps.rae.es/CNDHE
7. ^ Diccionario del Español Medieval electrónico (DEMel), data publication 2026 (CC BY-SA), Universität Rostock
8. ^ a b Lleal, Coloma (dir.), DICCA-XV: Diccionario del castellano del siglo XV en la Corona de Aragón, Barcelona: Universitat de Barcelona, Grup d'Estudis d'Història de la Llengua (GHCL), https://ghcl.ub.edu/diccaxv
9. ^ Nebrija, Antonio de (1513), Vocabulario español-latino, Salamanca, ed. Marina Vidal Díez (2007), Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes, p. 372
10. ^ a b Covarrubias Orozco, Sebastián de (1611), Tesoro de la lengua castellana o española, Madrid: Luis Sánchez (Biblioteca Wordkers transcription, CC BY 4.0), p. 1092
11. ^ a b Real Academia Española (1726–1739), Diccionario de la lengua castellana (Diccionario de Autoridades), 6 vols., Madrid: Francisco del Hierro, p. 4, 429
12. ^ a b Real Academia Española (1884), Diccionario de la lengua castellana, 12th ed., Madrid: Imprenta de D. Gregorio Hernando (the first Academy edition with etymologies), p. 651
13. ^ a b c Moliner, María (2007), Diccionario de uso del español, 3rd ed., Madrid: Gredos