Etymologically
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individuus

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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

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