Etymologically
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indecorus

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ɪn.dɛˈkoː.rʊs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [in.deˈkɔː.rus][1]

Forms

indecōrus (feminine indecōra, neuter indecōrum); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin in- (“not”) + decōrus (“seemly”).[2][1][3] De Vaan derives decōrus from Proto-Italic *dekōs-o- (“with beauty”), built on the noun decor, itself formed to decet (“it is fitting”); he dates ⟨indecōrus⟩ from Cicero.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan and Köbler date it from Cicero, who sets it against decōrus: what is done with a great spirit seems worthy and seemly, the opposite base and unseemly.[4][5][6]

Semantic evolution

Cicero adds that "let them hate, as long as they fear" would seem unseemly from Aeacus or Minos, who were known to be just.[2] It is also unsightly: Livy has dancers whose movements were not ungraceful.[2] Horace calls the dust that soils generals not inglorious.[2] Glossaries explain it as foul and dishonourable.[3] Church Latin glosses it unbecoming, shameful.[7]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of unseemly acts.[2][6][4][5]
  • 65–8 BC – Horace of inglorious dust.[2][5]
  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy of graceless movements.[2][5]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Unpleasing in appearance, ungraceful, unsightly.[2][6][1]
  2. Unbecoming, unseemly, indecorous, shameful.[2][6][7][1]
  3. Not worthy of honour, inglorious.[2]

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 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. ^ a b c 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 Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson