Etymologically
Log in

novercalis

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 20 October 2026 at 15:43. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [nɔ.wɛrˈkaː.lɪs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [no.verˈkaː.lis][1]

Forms

novercālis (neuter novercāle); third-declension two-termination adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin noverca (“stepmother”) + -ālis.[2][1] De Vaan takes noverca to be a fairly recent formation from novus (“new”), with an unclear suffix.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first example is in Seneca the Elder, who asks why someone looks at a brother with “stepmotherly eyes”.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

Lewis and Short call it post-classical.[4] In the literal sense, “of a stepmother”, Statius has Ascanius hunting in his stepmother's fields, and Juvenal calls Lavinium “stepmotherly”, after Ascanius' stepmother Lavinia.[4][5] More often it means “like a stepmother”, that is, hostile: Tacitus has novercalia odia, stepmotherly hatred, and Apuleius a model of stepmotherly malice.[2][4][6]

British medieval Latin kept the hostile sense, as when William of Malmesbury writes of Saint Edward, killed by a stepmother's guile.[7]

Timeline

  • c. 45–96 AD – Statius uses it of a stepmother's fields.[4][8]
  • 98–115 AD – Tacitus speaks of stepmotherly hatred.[2][8]
  • c. 125–175 AD – Apuleius speaks of stepmotherly malice.[2][8]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Of or belonging to a stepmother.[2][4]
  2. Characteristic of a stepmother; hostile, malevolent.[2][4][6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  7. ^ 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
  8. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de