inconcussus

Forms

inconcussus (feminine inconcussa, neuter inconcussum); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin in- (“not”) + concussus (“shaken”), the past participle of concutiō (“to shake violently”).^[2][1][3] De Vaan lists concutiō under quatiō, which goes back to Proto-Italic *kwat-i-; he suggests, with a question mark, Proto-Indo-European *(s)kuot-i- and thinks the root may be non-Indo-European in origin.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Seneca,^[5] who writes of lands that remain unshaken and of a solid, untroubled security.^[2]

Semantic evolution

It is unshaken, firm or steady of physical things, unbroken or untroubled of peace, health or a household, and of people steadfast, not shaken in their resolve: Seneca says that the man who does not grow angry has stood firm, unshaken by injury.^[2] Lewis & Short call it post-Augustan and cite Lucan of the stars of heaven, Pliny the Younger of a man himself unshaken and unmoved, Tacitus of peace and Statius of a household's gods.^[6] The adverb ⟨inconcussē⟩, firmly, appears in the Theodosian Code and in Augustine.^[6] Glosses explain it as ⟨incommōtus⟩ and ⟨imperturbātus⟩.^[3]

Timeline

• 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca of unshaken lands and of a steadfast man.^[2][5]
• 39–65 AD – Lucan of the stars.^[6][5]
• 98–115 AD – Tacitus of unbroken peace.^[6][5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of things, unshaken, firm, steady.^[2][6][1]
2. Of peace, health or a household, unbroken, untroubled, secure.^[2][6]
3. Of people, purposes or feelings, steadfast, unwavering.^[2][6]

Related words

• concutiō
• quatiō

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b c d e f g Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press