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intoxicatio

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word intoxicatio

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1309 More words from the 14th century
Ultimate origin
Latin intoxicō
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin toxicum
Latin intoxicō
English intoxicate
Latin intoxicātiō
English intoxication

Forms

intoxicātiō f (genitive intoxicātiōnis); third declension[1][2] The spelling intoxicacio also occurs.[3][2]

Etymology

It is from Latin intoxicō + -tiō.[1][2] The DMLBS classes it as a Medieval Latin word.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Latham records it from 1309, meaning poisoning.[1]

Semantic evolution

In British sources it means the act of poisoning or a poison, also figuratively; a record of 1315 orders an inquiry into who had procured a poisoning.[4] Albertus Magnus uses it for the poisonousness of venomous animals, which he says varies with the place.[5] Polish, Czech and Hungarian sources use it for poisoning,[2][6][3] and it continued in Neo-Latin, in the Letters of Obscure Men and in Luther's table talk of 1538.[7]

Timeline

  • 1309 – Latham's first record, meaning poisoning.[1]
  • 1315 – An English record orders an inquiry into a poisoning.[4]
  • 1497 – A Polish court record uses it for poisoning.[2]
  • 1538 – Luther uses it in his table talk.[7]

Meanings

Noun

  1. poisoning, the act of giving poison.[4][1][2]
  2. A poison; also figurative.[4]
  3. Poisonousness, venomous power.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  2. ^ a b c d e f Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
  3. ^ a b Bartal, Antal, et al. (1987–), Lexicon Latinitatis Medii Aevi Hungariae, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online ed. ELTE
  4. ^ a b c d e 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
  5. ^ a b Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  6. ^ Latinitatis medii aevi lexicon Bohemorum / Slovník středověké latiny v českých zemích (1977–), Prague: Academia; electronic version, Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences
  7. ^ a b Ramminger, Johann, Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700, www.neulatein.de
Cite this entry

“Intoxicatio.” Etymologically, 7 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/la/intoxicatio. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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