Etymologically
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insania

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ĩːˈsaː.ni.a][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [inˈsaː.ni.a][1]

Forms

īnsānia f (genitive īnsāniae); first declension[1]

Etymology

It is from īnsānus “mad”, from in- “not” and sānus “sound, healthy”, with the suffix -ia.[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, of madness.[2] Köbler's first source is Cicero; he dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant unsoundness of mind, madness, as in Plautus, with ad īnsāniam to the point of madness.[2] In Cicero it meant folly bordering on madness and a mad desire, a mania, and in Seneca the rage of natural forces.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant insanity, madness, folly, frenzy.[4] British Medieval Latin used it for madness, as in rules on a Christian who killed himself out of his mind.[5] It survives, with the first syllable lost, as Spanish saña and Portuguese sanha “rage”.[1] English insanity comes from the related īnsānitās, recorded in the 1580s.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of madness.[2][3]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of folly and mania.[2][3]
  • 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca uses it of the rage of nature.[2][3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Madness, insanity.[2]
  2. Folly; a mad desire, mania.[2]
  3. The rage of natural forces.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  5. ^ 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
  6. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com