coitus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈko.ɪ.tʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈkɔː.i.tus]^[1]

Forms

coitus m (genitive coitūs); fourth declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin coeō (“to come together”) + -tus, from con- and eō (“to go”).^[2][3][1] De Vaan traces ⟨eō⟩ to Proto-Italic *ei- (“to go”), Proto-Indo-European *h₁ey- (“to go”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is Lucretius, of physical union.^[2] Köbler dates Lucretius 96–55 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant a uniting, as of atoms in Lucretius; sexual intercourse, as in Ovid; a meeting, encounter, and a gathering or set of people, as in Seneca; and in Celsus the closing of a vein.^[2][6] The OLD notes that it is not always distinguishable from coetus.^[2]

British Medieval Latin used it for a coming together, an astronomical conjunction, and sexual intercourse.^[7] English coitus (1848) is a scientific use of it.^[8]

Timeline

• 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of physical union.^[2][5]
• 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid uses it of sexual intercourse.^[2][5]
• 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca uses it of a meeting.^[2][5]
• 1848 – English coitus is recorded.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. A coming together, meeting.^[2]
2. Physical union.^[2]
3. Sexual intercourse, coitus.^[2]
4. A gathering, assembly.^[2]
5. (Medieval Latin, astronomy) A conjunction.^[7]

Related words

• coeō
• coetus
• eō
• English coitus

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
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
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com