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ebrietas

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word ebrietas

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
81–43 BC, Cicero
Ultimate origin
Latin (ēbrius)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin ebrius
Latin ebrietas

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [eːˈbri.ɛ.taːs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [eˈbriː.e.tas][1]

Forms

ēbrietās f (genitive ēbrietātis); third declension[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin ēbrius (“drunk”) + -tās.[2][1] De Vaan derives ⟨ēbrius⟩ from Proto-Italic *ēχʷrio- and Proto-Indo-European *h₁ē̆gʷʰ-ro- (“drinking”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁egʷʰ- (“to drink”), cognate with Hittite eku-zi (“drinks”) and Ancient Greek νήφω (nḗphō, “to be sober”), from “not drinking”; the ⟨-br-⟩ is as in febris (“fever”).[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Cicero,[5] who distinguishes drunkenness (ēbrietās) from the habit of drinking (ēbriōsitās).[2]

Semantic evolution

It is the state of being drunk, in the plural drunken orgies, and also addiction to drink: Seneca asks what else ruined Mark Antony.[2] Horace says it drives the unarmed man into battle.[6]

Church Latin has it for drunkenness and excess.[7] English ebriety (early 15th century) is from it.[4]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero distinguishes it from ēbriōsitās.[2][5]
  • 65–8 BC – Horace.[6][5]
  • 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca of addiction to drink.[2][5]
  • early 15th century – English ebriety.[4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. drunkenness, intoxication;[2][6][1][7] (plural) drunken orgies.[2][6][1][7]
  2. Addiction to drink.[2]

Usage notes

Döderlein says ēbrietās shows the effects of wine in their most favourable light, as high spirits and even inspiration, while vīnolentia and the old tēmulentia show them as brutal excess and crāpula names the cause.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ a b c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  8. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
Cite this entry

“Ebrietas.” Etymologically, 19 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/ebrietas. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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