Etymologically
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impenetrabilis

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ɪm.pɛ.nɛˈtraː.bɪ.lɪs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [im.pe.neˈtraː.bi.lis][1]

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