Etymology and origin of the Latin word instinctus
Instinctus is both the participle of the verb īnstinguō, “roused, inspired”, and a fourth-declension noun made from it, “instigation, inspiration”.[1][2]
instinctus1 roused
- Confidence
- Disputed
- Formation
- Derivation
- First attested
- 81–43 BC, Cicero
- Ultimate origin
- Latin (in-,stinguo)
Pronunciation
Forms
īnstīnctus (feminine īnstīncta, neuter īnstīnctum); first/second-declension adjective[3]
Etymology
The participle is from Latin īnstinguō (“to incite, impel”), a verb made from in- and a verb ⟨*stinguō⟩ also found in distinguō.[1] Walde and Hofmann connected it with īnstīgō and a root Proto-Indo-European *steig- (“to prick”), as Etymonline does; the TLL prefers Szemerényi's comparison with Proto-Germanic *stenkw- (“to collide”).[4][5]
Earliest recorded meaning
Köbler dates it from Cicero.[6] Livy uses it of a man who spoke inspired by a divine spirit.[1]
Semantic evolution
It means excited, roused or fired, and especially roused to anger: Silius has Scipio fired by the slaughter of his men, and Suetonius a man stirred by great injury.[1] It is also inspired by a god: Lucan has a mind possessed by sacred frenzy, Quintilian someone inspired by a Delphic oracle, and Tacitus a speaker roused as if inspired.[1] Wiktionary gives inspired and infuriated.[3]
Timeline
- 81–43 BC – Cicero.[6]
- 59 BC–17 AD – Livy, inspired by a divine spirit.[1][6]
- 39–65 AD – Lucan of sacred frenzy.[1][6]
- 25–101 AD – Silius of Scipio fired by slaughter.[1][6]
Meanings
Participle
instinctus2 instigation
- Confidence
- Established
- Formation
- Derivation
- First attested
- 81–43 BC, Cicero
- Ultimate origin
- Latin (instinctus,-tus)
Pronunciation
Forms
īnstīnctus m (genitive īnstīnctūs); fourth declension[3]
Etymology
The noun is from Latin īnstīnctus + -tus, a verbal noun of the fourth declension.[1][4]
Earliest recorded meaning
Köbler dates it from Cicero,[6] who writes of oracles poured forth by divine inspiration and of the mind roused by a divine impulse.[2][1]
Semantic evolution
It is instigation or prompting, by people or by gods: Tacitus has something done at the instigation of the town councillors, and Seneca an impulse of the will.[1][2] It is also excitement, enthusiasm or inspiration: Curtius tells of a woman thought to foretell the future by inspiration, and Tacitus contrasts verse written by inspiration with laboured verse.[1] Lewis & Short call it classical and note that it is mostly used in the ablative singular.[2] In Medieval Latin it is an impulse, a natural propensity, an instinct.[7][8] English instinct dates from the early 15th century, first meaning a prompting.[5]
Timeline
- 81–43 BC – Cicero of divine inspiration.[1][2][6]
- 1st century AD – Curtius of a prophetess.[1][6]
- 98–115 AD – Tacitus of instigation and of poetic inspiration.[1][6]
- early 15th century – English instinct.[5]
Meanings
Noun
Related words
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
- ^ a b c d e f Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
- ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
- ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
- ^ a b c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
Derived terms
Borrowed into
- English instinct
Cite this entry
“Instinctus.” Etymologically, 20 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/instinctus. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.
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