orgia

Forms

orgia n pl (genitive orgiōrum); second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ὄργια (órgia, “secret rites”), which Köbler relates to ἔργον (érgon, “deed, work”).^[2][1][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's earliest source and Gaffiot's first citation are from Catullus, whom Köbler dates 81/79–52/50 BC.^[3][5]

Semantic evolution

It was a plural noun for secret rites, mysteries, especially those of Bacchus, as in Catullus and Virgil, and Lewis & Short describe the nocturnal festival of Bacchus with its wild cries.^[2][6][5] Gaffiot also gives the sacred objects of the mysteries.^[5]

British Medieval Latin used it for the secret rites of Bacchus.^[7] English orgy came in the 1560s as orgies, of secret rites of Greek and Roman gods, through French orgies and directly; the sense “wild revelry” came later.^[4]

Timeline

• 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus uses it.^[5][3]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of the rites of Bacchus.^[5][3]
• 1560s – English orgies is recorded.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. (plural) Secret rites, mysteries, especially of Bacchus.^[2]
2. The sacred objects of the mysteries.^[5]

Related words

• Bacchānālia
• English orgy

References

1. ^ a b 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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d e f Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
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