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incensus

Etymology and origin of the Latin word incensus

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incensus1 burning, ardent

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Cicero
Ultimate origin
Latin (candeō)

Forms

incēnsus (feminine incēnsa, neuter incēnsum); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

This is the perfect participle of incendō “to set on fire”, from in- and ⟨*cendō⟩, related to candeō “to shine, glow”.[2][1][3] De Vaan traces ⟨candeō⟩ to Proto-Italic *kand-ē- (“to shine”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's earliest source is Cicero, whom he dates 81–43 BC, and the OLD cites him for the sense ardent.[5][2]

Semantic evolution

As a participle it meant set on fire, burnt; as an adjective radiant, glowing, as in Petronius, and impassioned, ardent, inflamed, as in Cicero.[2][6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant incensed.[7] Its neuter, Late Latin incēnsum “that which is burnt”, became incense: through Old French encens it gave English incense in the late 13th century.[3][1]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of the ardent.[2][5]
  • before 66 AD – Petronius uses it of the glowing.[2][5]
  • late 13th century – English incense is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Burnt, set on fire; radiant, glowing.[2]
  2. Impassioned, ardent, incensed.[2][7]

Word family

  • incēnsum

incensus2 unregistered

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Cicero
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*ḱens-)

Forms

incēnsus (feminine incēnsa, neuter incēnsum); first/second-declension adjective[2]

Etymology

This is from in- “not” and ⟨cēnsus⟩, participle of cēnseō “to assess, register”.[2][8][5] The Thesaurus compares Oscan ⟨ancensto⟩ “unregistered”.[9]

Earliest recorded meaning

Gaffiot and Köbler cite Cicero, Pro Caecina.[6][5] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant not registered at the census, not assessed, of one who had not given in an account of himself and his property, as in Cicero and Livy.[2][8][6]

Medieval Latin used incēnsus for a rent, a cēnsus.[10]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it.[6][5]
  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it.[6][5]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Not registered at the census, unassessed.[2]

Noun

  1. (Medieval Latin) A rent.[10]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  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 d e f g h Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b c d e Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  8. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  9. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  10. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
Cite this entry

“Incensus.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/incensus. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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