Etymologically
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indomitus

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ɪnˈdɔ.mɪ.tʊs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [inˈdɔː.mi.tus][1]

Forms

indomitus (feminine indomita, neuter indomitum); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is formed from in- (“not”) and ⟨domitus⟩, the participle of domō (“to tame”).[2][1] De Vaan traces ⟨domō⟩ to Proto-Italic *domaje- and the causative Proto-Indo-European *domh₂-eie/o- (“to tame”), cognate with Sanskrit दमयति (damáyati, “tames”), Ancient Greek δάμνημι (dámnēmi, “to tame”) and Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐍄𐌰𐌼𐌾𐌰𐌽 (gatamjan, “to tame”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler gives Plautus as its first author,[4] who has it of horses not broken in, “untamed and fierce”, in the Menaechmi.[2]

Semantic evolution

It is first of animals not broken in, as Varro's unbroken oxen, and of persons wild or untameable, as Caecilius' “barbarian with untamed ways”, Horace uses it of the waves.[2][5] It is also unconquered or unconquerable, as Ovid's “unconquered right hand”, and undaunted, as Virgil's farmers.[2] Of persons, passions and natural forces it is unrestrained or violent, as Plautus' “unless you are foolish and unruly”, Cicero's “ungoverned desires” and Catullus' whirlwind.[2]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of untamed horses and of an unruly woman.[2][4]
  • 230/220–168 BC – Caecilius of wild ways.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of ungoverned desires.[2][4]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil of undaunted farmers.[2][4]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. (of animals) Not broken in, untamed, (of persons) wild, fierce.[2][1][5]
  2. Unconquered, unconquerable; undaunted, indomitable.[2][1]
  3. Unrestrained, ungovernable, violent.[2][1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press