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iniuria

Etymology and origin of the Latin word iniuria

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*h₂oi-u)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ɪnˈjuː.ri.a][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [inˈjuː.ri.a][1]

Forms

iniūria f (genitive iniūriae); first declension[1]

Etymology

It is formed from in- “not”, iūs “law, right” and -ia, or from the adjective iniūrius “unjust”.[2][1][3] Iūs is *jowos (“oath, law”), which de Vaan traces to Proto-Indo-European *h₂oi-u (“vital force, eternity”).[4] An old spelling iniourias appears in an inscription.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus has a man standing “bound by the greatest injustice”.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant unlawful conduct as opposed to ius, and unjust treatment, a wrong.[2] The ablative iniuria meant “unjustly”, as Plautus' “you divided it unjustly”.[2] In law it was any act meant to insult or outrage a person, and it also meant loss inflicted on someone's estate or rights, and physical injury, as Livy's brawl with more shouting than harm.[2]

Lewis & Short quote the definition that it is so called because it is not done by right (non iure).[3] Isidore defines it as injustice, one who dares something against the order of law.[6] In medieval Latin it meant an assault and the fine for it.[7] English injury was borrowed in the late 14th century.[8]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of injustice and as an adverb.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero distinguishes ius and iniuria.[2][5]
  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of bodily harm.[2][5]
  • late 14th century – English injury is borrowed.[8]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Unlawful conduct, injustice.[2][1]
  2. A wrong, an injury, offence.[2][1]
  3. (ablative as adverb) Unjustly.[2]
  4. (law) An insult, outrage.[2][1]
  5. Loss, damage (to one's estate or rights).[2][1]
  6. Bodily harm, injury.[2][1]
  7. (Medieval Latin) An assault; a fine for assault.[7]

Word family

  • iniūriōsus
  • iniūrior

Usage notes

Döderlein says contumelia is a wrong done to someone's honour and iniuria a violation of their rights; a blow is an iniuria as bodily harm and a contumelia as a disgrace.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  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 c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Isidore of Seville, Etymologiarum sive Originum libri XX, ed. W. M. Lindsay (Oxford, 1911).
  7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  9. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
Cite this entry

“Iniuria.” Etymologically, 15 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/iniuria. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·