Etymologically
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insecurus

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Forms

īnsēcūrus (feminine īnsēcūra, neuter īnsēcūrum); first/second-declension adjective[1][2]

Etymology

It is from Latin in-2 (“not”) + sēcūrus (“free from care, safe”), a Medieval Latin formation.[2][3][1] English insecure was taken from it.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The MLW's earliest example is from Heiric's life of Germanus, where a crowd obeys orders although it is “insecura”, unsure.[2]

Semantic evolution

Medieval writers used it of people who were unsure or wavering[2] and of things that were unsafe: Thomas Bradwardine calls an anchor badly placed more insecurus than anything,[3] and in Albertus Magnus' commentary on Aristotle's Politics it renders Ancient Greek ἐπισφαλής (episphalḗs, “precarious”).[2] In the Latin of Poland it meant anxious or frightened, of people, and turbulent or dangerous, of places.[5]

Timeline

  • before 1350 – British Medieval Latin sources record it, according to Latham's word list.[1]
  • 1448 – A Polish letter speaks of loca insecura, dangerous places with a threat of hostility.[5]
  • 1505 – A Polish court record uses it of a frightened man.[5]
  • 1640s – English borrows it as insecure.[4]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. (Medieval Latin) Unsure, wavering, irresolute.[2][5]
  2. (Medieval Latin) Unsafe, unsecured; dangerous.[3][5][1]
  3. (Medieval Latin) Not assured, doubtful.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  2. ^ a b c d e f Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  3. ^ a b c d 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
  4. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d e Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl