Etymologically
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innuptus

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Forms

innū̆ptus (feminine innū̆pta, neuter innū̆ptum); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin in- (“not”) + nūptus (“married”), the second part being the participle of nūbō (“to marry (of a woman)”).[2][1] De Vaan finds no secure etymology for that verb.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

A fragment of an unknown tragedy, quoted by Cicero, has innuptae nuptiae, “a marriage that is no marriage”, translating the Greek “unmarried marriage”: qua tempestate Helenam Paris innuptis iunxit nuptiis.[2][4] Its first datable author is Catullus, who uses innupta for an unmarried girl.[4][5]

Semantic evolution

It is used mostly of women and girls: Virgil has boys and unmarried girls, and calls Minerva the virgin goddess (innuptae donum Minervae), and Silius Italicus calls the Amazons the unwedded band.[2][4] Catullus and Propertius use the feminine as a noun.[4] Ovid, Statius, Seneca's tragedies and Apuleius also have it.[2]

In British medieval Latin it meant unmarried or celibate, of men as well as women.[6] Stelten gives simply “unmarried”.[7]

Timeline

  • 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus uses innupta for an unmarried girl.[4][5]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil calls Minerva innupta.[2][5]
  • 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid uses it.[2][5]
  • 25–101 AD – Silius Italicus calls the Amazons the unwedded band.[4][5]
  • 878 – A papal letter orders a separated husband or wife to stay unmarried.[6]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. (of women) Unmarried, virginal.[2][4]
  2. innuptae nuptiae: a marriage that is no marriage.[2][4]
  3. (Medieval Latin) Unmarried, celibate (of men or women).[6]

Noun

  1. innupta: an unmarried girl.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h 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 f g h i Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b c 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
  7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson