conubium

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [koːˈnuː.bi.ũː], [koːˈnʊ.bi.ũː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [koˈnuː.bi.um]^[1]

Forms

cōnū̆bium n (genitive cōnū̆biī or cōnū̆bī); second declension^[1] Less correctly connūbium;^[2] the ū is certainly long in Catullus, Ovid and Seneca, but in Lucretius and Virgil it can be read short, and poets often scan the word in three syllables.^[3][2]

Etymology

It is from con- and nūbō “to marry” with the suffix -ium.^[3][1] De Vaan explains the long ⟨cō-⟩ from earlier ⟨*com-sn-⟩, and Weiss reconstructs ⟨*kon-snoubiom⟩; de Vaan finds the origin of ⟨nūbō⟩ itself unclear.^[1][4] Isidore derived it from ⟨nūbere⟩, not from ⟨nūpta⟩.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation for marriage between two persons is from Catullus.^[3] Köbler dates Catullus 81/79–52/50 BC.^[6]

Semantic evolution

It was intermarriage between two peoples or groups, and in law the right to intermarry, as in Livy; and marriage between two persons, the right to marry, as in Catullus and Virgil.^[3][2] Isidore explains that cōnūbium is said when equals, such as Roman citizens of the same rank, marry.^[5]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant marriage.^[7] British Medieval Latin used it for a wedding, marriage, and a nun's espousal to Christ.^[8] It was borrowed into Italian as connubio.^[1]

Timeline

• 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus uses it.^[3][6]
• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of the right to intermarry.^[3][6]
• c. 560–636 AD – Isidore explains it.^[5][6]

Meanings

Noun

1. Intermarriage; the right to intermarry.^[3]
2. Marriage.^[3]

Word family

• cōnū̆biālis

Related words

• coniugium
• nūbō
• nūptiae

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
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 Isidore of Seville, Etymologiarum sive Originum libri XX, ed. W. M. Lindsay (Oxford, 1911).
6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
8. ^ 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