Etymologically
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insignis

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ĩːˈsɪŋ.nɪs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [inˈsiɲ.ɲis][1]

Forms

īnsignis (neuter īnsigne, comparative īnsignior, superlative īnsignissimus, adverb īnsigniter); third-declension two-termination adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from in-, signum “mark, sign” and the adjective suffix ⟨-is⟩.[2][1][3] The TLL takes it as a back-formation from the participle ⟨īnsignītus⟩ and compares Ancient Greek ἐπίσημος (epísēmos, “marked, notable”).[4] Paulus' epitome of Festus says oxen with white on the thigh and foot are called ⟨īnsignēs⟩.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Lucilius, of what is conspicuous.[2] Köbler dates Lucilius c. 180–102 BC.[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant clearly visible, conspicuous, as Livy's distinctive dress, plain, marked, and remarkable in appearance.[2][3] From Terence onwards it meant noteworthy, memorable, in a good or bad sense, and Varro speaks of the “notable error” of those who would rather teach than learn.[2][3][7] It meant distinguished, noted, and of what is a mark of honour, glorious, as in Cicero.[2] Its neuter īnsigne was a noun, a badge or distinguishing mark.[8]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant noted, remarkable, eminent, extraordinary.[9] English insignia came in the 1640s from the neuter plural īnsignia “badges of honour”.[8]

Timeline

  • c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius uses it of the conspicuous.[2][6]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of the plain and the memorable.[2][6]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of the distinguished and the glorious.[2][6]
  • 1640s – English insignia is recorded.[8]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Conspicuous, recognizable; marked, plain.[2]
  2. Remarkable in appearance, outstanding.[2]
  3. Noteworthy, memorable, signal.[2]
  4. Distinguished, noted.[2]
  5. Honourable, glorious.[2]

Word family

  • īnsigne
  • insigniārius
  • perinsignis
  • īnsigniō
  • īnsigniter

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 k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  4. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  5. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  7. ^ Marcus Terentius Varro, De lingua Latina (text of The Latin Library; book and paragraph numbers as there).
  8. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  9. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson