imbellis

Forms

imbellis (neuter imbelle); third-declension two-termination adjective^[1] It is also spelled inbellis.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is formed from the negative prefix in- (“not”) and bellum (“war”) with the adjective ending -is.^[2][4] De Vaan notes that ⟨bellum⟩ continues older ⟨duellum⟩, and calls Pinault's explanation the best: a diminutive ⟨*duenelo-⟩ of bonus (“good”), “quite good, brave”, used of deeds of valour and so of war.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Cicero,^[4] who warns that one must never flee danger in a way that makes one seem unwarlike and timid.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

It is unsuited to warfare, as Sallust's people too young or old for it, untrained for war, as Propertius' hands worn by an unwarlike spear, and not involving war.^[2] Often in a derogatory sense it is unwarlike, peaceable or cowardly, of people and of animals, as Virgil's unwarlike stags that still fight.^[2][3] Of a period of time it is free from war, as Livy's three years without war.^[2][1] Lewis and Short call it mostly poetic and post-Augustan.^[3]

Church Latin glosses it “cowardly”.^[6]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero of seeming unwarlike and timid.^[2][4]
• 86–34 BC – Sallust of those unfit for war by age.^[2][4]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil of unwarlike stags.^[2][4]
• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy of three years free from war.^[2][4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Unfit or untrained for war.^[2][3]
2. Unwarlike, peaceable; cowardly.^[2][1][6]
3. Of a time, free from war, peaceful.^[2][1]

Word family

• imbellia

Related words

• bellum
• bellicōsus
• imbēcillus

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 i j k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
6. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson