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saepes

Etymology and origin of the Latin word saepes

History Permalink
Confidence
Uncertain
First attested
Cicero

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈsae̯.peːs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈsɛː.pes][1]

Forms

saepēs f (genitive saepis); third declension[1]

Etymology

Its origin is uncertain.[2][1] De Vaan finds it tempting to derive a *saipi- “packed, fenced” from the root *seh₂i- “to bind”, but a suffix *-p- is not known, and Umbrian seples (“nails”) may be related.[2] Pokorny compared Ancient Greek αἱμασιά (haimasiá, “wall of dry stones”), which Wiktionary calls phonetically unlikely.[1][3] The adverb saepe “often” comes from a neuter *saipi “closely packed”.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Varro, who has the nominative saeps.[2][3] Köbler dates it from Cicero.[4] Köbler dates Varro 116–27 BC and Cicero 81–43 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It was anything planted or built to form a barrier, a hedge or fence, as Caesar describes the Nervii's hedges of bent saplings that stopped cavalry and Virgil the hedge humming with bees.[3][5] By transfer it was any enclosure, as Cicero's barrier of rocks, and Apuleius' eyebrows that fence the eyes.[3]

It survives in Italian siepe “hedge”.[1] Medieval British charters used it for hedges and fences of many kinds.[6]

Timeline

  • 116–27 BC – Varro has the form saeps.[3][4]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar describes the hedges of the Nervii.[5][4]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil speaks of a hedge.[3][4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A hedge, fence.[3]
  2. An enclosure, barrier.[3]
  • saepe
  • saepiō

Usage notes

It is also spelled sēpēs.[3][5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d 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 d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ 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
Cite this entry

“Saepes.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/saepes. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·