impenetrabilis

Forms

impenetrābilis (neuter impenetrābile); third-declension two-termination adjective^[1] Also spelled inpenetrābilis.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is from Latin in- + penetrābilis (“penetrable”), with the negative prefix.^[2][4][1][5] penetrābilis is formed from penetrō (“to penetrate”).^[1][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLL finds it from Livy on,^[4][7] who uses it with the dative of flint that iron could hardly penetrate.^[3][8][6]

Semantic evolution

After Livy it occurs in Seneca and Pliny the Elder:^[4] Seneca uses it of the hard upper part of the crocodile's body, and Pliny of a cave impervious to rain and of the hippopotamus hide used for shields.^[3][8] Statius calls the source of the Nile impenetrable.^[2] Tacitus uses it of impassable ground, of protection against blows and of the unassailable chastity of Agrippina.^[8][9][6] It also meant impervious to emotion, in Seneca and in Silius Italicus, who has it of anger.^[2][9] Sulpicius Severus speaks of a chest that kept out water, and a late adverb impenetrābiliter is recorded.^[8][9]

In British medieval sources it is used of hard things, of troops that cannot be broken and figuratively.^[10]

Timeline

• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of flint that iron cannot penetrate.^[8][7]
• 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca uses it of the crocodile's back and of a mind impervious to influence.^[2][8][7]
• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses it of a cave impervious to rain.^[3][7]
• c. 45–96 AD – Statius calls the source of the Nile impenetrable.^[2][7]
• 98–115 AD – Tacitus uses it of impassable ground and of Agrippina's chastity.^[8][6][7]

Meanings

Adjective

1. That cannot be penetrated, impenetrable; of places, impassable.^[2][3][8]
2. Impervious (to emotion or other influences), unassailable.^[2][6]
3. (Medieval Latin) Of troops, that cannot be broken through.^[10]

References

1. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
5. ^ Bianchi, Rossella; Lelli, Olga (2014), VOLI: Vocabolario di latino, Florence: Le Monnier
6. ^ a b c d e Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
7. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
8. ^ a b c d e f g h Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
9. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
10. ^ 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