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occultus

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word occultus

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 250–184 BC, Plautus
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*ḱel-)

Forms

occultus (feminine occulta, neuter occultum; comparative occultior, superlative occultissimus); first/second-declension adjective[1] The Senate's decree on the Bacchanalia has the ablative oquoltod, with a hypercorrect -quol-.[1][2]

Etymology

It is the perfect passive participle of occulō (“to hide”), used as an adjective.[1][3] De Vaan derives occulō from ob- and Proto-Italic *kele/o-, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱel-e/o- (“to hide”), cognate with Old Irish ceilid (“hides”) and Old English helan (“to hide”).[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus has hī saltem in occultīs locīs prōstant, “these at least sell themselves in hidden places”, and cocleae in occultō latent, “snails lie hidden”.[1] Köbler first records it in Cicero.[4]

Semantic evolution

Occultus is “hidden from sight, concealed”, and of the forces of nature “unseen, secret” (Virgil).[1][3] It is “kept secret, clandestine” (Cicero), “esoteric”, of rites, and as a neuter plural occulta, “secrets” (Terence).[1] Of persons it is “acting secretly” and “dissembling, close”, and of things “hidden from the understanding, obscure”.[1] Set phrases are in occultō “in hiding, in secret”, ex occultō “from hiding”, and per occultum “secretly”.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: in occultīs locīs.[1][4]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence: omnia mea occulta.[1][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of a secret greed.[1][4]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. hidden, concealed.[1][3]
  2. secret, clandestine; esoteric.[1]
  3. Acting secretly; reserved, dissembling.[1]
  4. Obscure, recondite.[1]

Noun

  1. (neuter plural) Secrets.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  2. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
Cite this entry

“Occultus.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/occultus. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·