individuus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ɪn.diːˈwɪ.du.ʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [in.diˈviː.du.us]^[1]

Forms

indīviduus (feminine indīvidua, neuter indīviduum); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is from in- “not” and dīviduus “divisible”, from dīvidō “to divide”.^[2][1][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Cicero, of the indivisible and of atoms.^[2] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant indivisible, and in Cicero individua corpora or individuum an atom of Democritus.^[2][6] In Seneca it meant inseparable, and in Cicero and Pliny the Elder undivided, of trees with unbranched stems, and not shared.^[2][7] It also meant equal, impartial.^[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant indivisible, inseparable.^[8] British Medieval Latin used it of God and the Trinity.^[9] Medieval Latin indīviduālis gave English individual in the early 15th century, first “one and indivisible” of the Trinity.^[4]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of atoms.^[2][5]
• 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca uses it of the inseparable.^[2][5]
• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses it of unbranched trees.^[7][5]
• early 15th century – English individual is recorded.^[4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Indivisible; as a noun, an atom.^[2]
2. Inseparable.^[2]
3. Undivided; not shared.^[2]
4. Impartial.^[2]

Word family

• indīviduālis
• indīviduum

Related words

• dīvidō
• dīviduus
• English individual

References

1. ^ a b c d 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. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
8. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
9. ^ 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