Etymology and origin of the Latin word infractus
infractus1 broken
- Confidence
- Established
- Formation
- Derivation
- First attested
- 96–55 BC, Lucretius
- Ultimate origin
- Latin frangō
From the same root · infractus1
Forms
īnfrāctus (feminine īnfrācta, neuter īnfrāctum, comparative īnfrāctior); first/second-declension adjective[1]
Etymology
Used as an adjective, it is the past participle from Latin īnfringō (“to break, weaken”),[1][2][3] a compound of in- and frangō (“to break”).[2]
Earliest recorded meaning
The OLD's first example is in Lucretius, of the coaxing, broken speech of a nurse (almae nutricis blanda atque infracta loquela).[1]
Semantic evolution
Besides the senses of the verb, it is used chiefly of speech and style.[1] It means broken or disjointed, as in Cicero's description of speakers who use broken, chopped-off phrases; then lacking manly vigour, mincing, as Seneca the Elder and Seneca use it of an affected style and Gellius of a voice; and also humble or subdued in tone, as in Livy's account of a speech that was submissive and subdued.[1] Quintilian uses it of a dejected manner in perorations.[1]
Timeline
- 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of broken speech.[1][3]
- 81–43 BC – Cicero uses the neuter plural for broken phrases.[1][3]
- 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of a subdued speech.[1][3]
Meanings
Adjective
infractus2 unbroken
- Confidence
- Established
- Formation
- Derivation
- First attested
- c. 250–184 BC, Plautus
- Ultimate origin
- Latin frangō
Forms
īnfrāctus (feminine īnfrācta, neuter īnfrāctum); first/second-declension adjective[2][5]
Etymology
The adjective “unbroken” is from Latin in- (“not”) + frāctus (“broken”),[6][2][5][3] with the negative prefix; the grammarian Agroecius noted that ⟨in-⟩ could mean both “in” and “not”, as in this word.[6]
Earliest recorded meaning
Georges and Gaffiot cite a fragment of Plautus preserved by Paulus' epitome of Festus for the sense “unbroken” (clunes infractos fero).[2][5][3]
Semantic evolution
In Late Latin it is used figuratively of people and spirits that cannot be broken, undaunted: Symmachus writes that broken fortunes found unbroken spirits (fractae opes infractos animos reppererunt).[6][2][4] Martianus Capella and Gregory the Great use it in the same way, the latter of Job, who remained unbroken in adversity.[6] Medieval Latin keeps the sense “unbeaten, not cast down”.[7]
Timeline
- c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it in a fragment.[2][3]
- c. 340–402 AD – Symmachus speaks of unbroken spirits.[6][3]
- 5th century AD – Martianus Capella uses it.[6][3]
Meanings
Adjective
Usage notes
A rare noun īnfrāctus, -ūs, “a breaking”, formed from īnfringō, appears in the grammarians Probus and Priscian.[6][2][5]
References
- ^ 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
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
- ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- ^ a b c d e Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
- ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
Cite this entry
“Infractus.” Etymologically, 20 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/infractus. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.
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