castimonia

Forms

castīmōnia f (genitive castīmōniae); first declension^[1] Apuleius has a neuter castimōnium.^[2]

Etymology

It is from Latin castus (“pure, chaste”) + -mōnia, formed like ācrimōnia.^[3][1][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are Cicero.^[3] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant purity, morality, as in Cicero's Prō Caeliō, and ceremonial purity or purification, especially by continence and abstinence, as in his Laws.^[3][5]

Medieval Latin used it for abstinence, self-restraint, chastity.^[6] British Medieval Latin used it for chastity, as of a widow's vow.^[7]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of moral and ritual purity.^[3][4]

Meanings

Noun

1. Purity, morality.^[3]
2. Ceremonial purity; continence, abstinence.^[3][5]
3. (Medieval Latin) Chastity.^[6][7]

Word family

• castimonialis
• castimōnium

Related words

• castitas
• castus
• incestus

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ a b Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press