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indignus

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word indignus

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 250–184 BC Plautus More words from the 3rd century BC
Ultimate origin
Latin dignus
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin dīgnus
Latin indignus
Derivations
From the same root
Latin dignē ← dīgnus
Latin dignitās ← dīgnus
Latin dignor ← dīgnus

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ɪnˈdɪŋ.nʊs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [inˈdiɲ.ɲus][1]

Forms

indignus (feminine indigna, neuter indignum, comparative indignior, superlative indignissimus); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin in-2 + dignus (“worthy”).[2][3][1] The base goes back to Proto-Italic *dek-no- (“worthy”) and Proto-Indo-European *deḱ-no-, from the root of decet (“it is fitting”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Plautus on,[3] first of a person who does not deserve some favour: in the Mercator a master asks whether he seems unworthy.[2][5]

Semantic evolution

In Classical Latin it was used of people undeserving of an honour or favour, often with the ablative, and of people who did not deserve a misfortune.[2][6] It also meant beneath someone's dignity, or, the other way round, too good for something.[2] Of sufferings it meant undeserved, and of actions shameful or shocking.[2]

It remained in use in Christian and Medieval Latin.[7][5]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of persons not deserving a favour, and of shameful acts.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it often, with the ablative.[2][6][5]
  • c. 340 AD – The Itinerarium Alexandri has a separate indignus meaning “indignant”.[8][9][5]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. unworthy, undeserving of an honour or favour, often with the ablative.[2][6]
  2. Not deserving a misfortune or punishment, guiltless.[2]
  3. Not fitting for someone (to do something).[2]
  4. Of suffering: undeserved, unmerited.[2][6]
  5. Beneath the dignity of; or too good for.[2]
  6. Of actions: unseemly, shameful, shocking.[2][6][1]

Word family

Usage notes

Georges and Gaffiot list a second indignus meaning “indignant”, formed from indignor and found only in the Itinerarium Alexandri.[8][9][5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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 e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  8. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  9. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
Cite this entry

“Indignus.” Etymologically, 8 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/la/indignus. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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