Etymology and origin of the Latin word iuncta
- Confidence
- Probable
- Formation
- Derivation
- First attested
- 1081–1082 charter of the priory of Saint-Vivien More words from the 11th century
- Ultimate origin
- Latin iungo
From the same root
Forms
iūncta f (genitive iūnctae); first declension[1] It is also spelled jūncta.[1][2]
Etymology
It is from Latin iungō (“to join”),[1] the feminine of its past participle used as a noun;[3][2] Du Cange explains the dry measure as the amount held in joined hands.[3][2]
Earliest recorded meaning
The first dated record is a charter of 1081 or 1082 founding the priory of Saint-Vivien, which grants one iuncta of salt at every market, a handful as a measure.[3][1]
Semantic evolution
Medieval Latin used it for several things that are “joined”: a dry measure of salt or grain, the amount held in both hands;[2][3] a joint;[2][3] an addition or increase;[3] and in Aragon an assembly of the people, judicial and military, summoned by officials called suprajunctarii.[3][2] A charter of 1284 from Croatia uses it for the bed or channel of a stream.[4]
Timeline
- 1081/1082 – A charter of the priory of Saint-Vivien grants a iuncta of salt.[3][1]
- 1250 – A charter uses it for a joint.[3]
- 1284 – A Croatian charter uses it of the channel of a stream.[4]
- 1398 – A treaty between Tunis and Pisa uses it for an addition.[3]
Meanings
Noun
- (Medieval Latin) A dry measure of salt or grain, the amount held in joined hands.[2][3]
- (Medieval Latin) A joint.[2][3]
- (Medieval Latin) An addition, increase.[3]
- (Medieval Latin) A judicial and military assembly.[2][3]
- (Medieval Latin) The bed or channel of a river.[4]
Usage notes
The MLW also records a medieval preposition iuncta “beside”, a variant of iuxta.[5]
References
- ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
- ^ a b c Bartal, Antal, et al. (1987–), Lexicon Latinitatis Medii Aevi Hungariae, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online ed. ELTE
- ^ Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
Cite this entry
“Iuncta.” Etymologically, 8 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/la/iuncta. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.
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