indulgentia

Forms

indulgentia f (genitive indulgentiae); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from indulgēns (“indulgent”), the participle of indulgeō (“to be indulgent”), with the suffix -ia.^[2][1][3] De Vaan thinks the verb is probably a compound of a prefix ⟨in-⟩ or ⟨endo-⟩ and a root meaning “to be fixed”, Proto-Italic *-dolχē-, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *dl̥ǵʰ-eh₁-, cognate with Sanskrit दृंहति (dṛ́ṃhati, “makes firm”) and Gothic 𐍄𐌿𐌻𐌲𐌾𐌰𐌽 (tulgjan, “to fasten”); the older comparison with longus (“long”) he finds unlikely.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler gives Cicero as its first author,^[3] who speaks of the natural kindness and goodwill that hold all people together.^[2]

Semantic evolution

It is want of strictness, leniency or indulgence, as Cicero's “I should not lack the judgement for severity or for leniency”, and kindness, especially of a superior, favour or bounty.^[2][5] Seneca uses it of giving way to a feeling, as “foolish self-indulgence” in endless grief.^[2]

In Christian Latin it is pardon, the remission of sins or absolution, and in charters the remission of dues or taxes.^[6][7] In the medieval Church it became the indulgence, the remission of the temporal punishment for sins already forgiven.^[7][8]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero of leniency and kindness.^[2][3]
• 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca of self-indulgence.^[2][3]
• 799/800 AD – In Carolingian capitularies.^[3]
• mid-14th century – Borrowed into English, partly by way of Old French, as indulgence in the Church sense.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. Leniency, mildness, indulgence.^[2][1][5]
2. Kindness, favour, bounty (especially of a superior).^[2][1]
3. Indulging (a feeling).^[2]
4. (Ecclesiastical Latin) Pardon, remission of sins; an indulgence.^[7][6][1]
5. (Medieval Latin) Remission of dues or taxes.^[6]

Related words

• indulgeō
• indulgēns
• clēmentia
• English indulgence

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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
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 Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ a b c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com