castus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈkas.tʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈkas.tus]^[1]

Forms

castus (feminine casta, neuter castum, comparative castior, superlative castissimus, adverb castē); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is the old participle of careō “to lack, be without”, inherited from Proto-Italic *kas-to-, so originally “free from”.^[2][3] The root has no certain Indo-European cognates; de Vaan finds the usual connection with Proto-Indo-European *ḱes- (“to cut”) neither phonetically nor semantically convincing.^[2][1] Older dictionaries compared Ancient Greek καθαρός (katharós, “pure”).^[4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates the adjective from Plautus,^[2] who has women say they ought to be free from blame.^[3] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[6]

Semantic evolution

The first sense, with ab, was free from or untouched by something.^[3] From this it meant free from vice, upright, unstained in a religious sense, holy, and sexually pure, chaste, or virgin, as the Vestals.^[3] Of language it meant pure and faultless.^[3] Döderlein distinguishes castus, chastity as a natural purity of soul, from pudīcus, a sense of shame.^[5]

In Christian Latin it described a chaste virgin and purity of faith.^[7] It survives in Italian casto and Spanish casto, and Old French chaste gave English chaste.^[1] Portuguese casta means “breed, race”.^[6]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of being free from blame.^[3][6]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of the chaste Vestal priestesses.^[3][6]
• c. 165 AD – Gellius uses it of Caesar's pure style.^[3][6]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Free from, untouched by (with ab).^[3]
2. Upright, moral, virtuous.^[3]
3. Pure in a religious sense, holy, pious.^[3][1]
4. chaste; virgin.^[3]
5. (of language) Pure, faultless.^[3]

Word family

• castificō
• castificus
• castīgō
• castīmōnia
• castitās
• castitūdō
• castum
• incestus

Related words

• careō
• English chaste
• English caste
• English chastise

Usage notes

A homonymous noun castus (fourth declension) meant a ceremonial abstinence observed for religious reasons, attested from Naevius.^[3][2][4]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
6. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ 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