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obnubo

Etymology and origin of the Latin word obnubo

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
Cicero
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*(s)newdʰ-)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ɔbˈnuː.boː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [obˈnuː.bo][1]

Forms

obnūbō (present infinitive obnūbere, perfect active obnūpsī, supine obnū̆ptum); third conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from ob- and nūbō “to veil (as a bride)”, and Gaffiot connects it with nūbēs “cloud”.[2][1][3] De Vaan reconstructs ⟨nūbēs⟩ as Proto-Italic ⟨*(s)nouþ-(i-)⟩, Proto-Indo-European *(s)newdʰ-, cognate with Welsh nudd (“haze”) and Avestan ⟨snaoδa-⟩ “clouds”, and notes that ⟨obnūbō⟩ suggests the stem meant “cover”.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lewis & Short and Gaffiot cite the old formula quoted by Cicero, caput obnūbitō “veil his head”.[5][3] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant to veil, cover the head, as in the ancient formula lictor, conligā manūs, caput obnūbitō quoted by Cicero, and in Virgil, and Lewis & Short call it very rare.[2][5][3]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it means to cover.[7]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero quotes an old legal formula with it.[3][6]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it.[3][6]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To veil, cover (the head).[2][5]

Usage notes

Lewis & Short give vēlō, induō and amiciō as synonyms.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
Cite this entry

“Obnubo.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/obnubo. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·