scelus

Forms

scelus n (genitive sceleris); third declension^[1]

Etymology

According to de Vaan it is inherited from Proto-Italic *skelos, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *skel-os (“curve, bending”), a neuter noun from the root *skel- (“to bend”).^[2][1] The meaning would have shifted from “crooked” to “wicked, bad”.^[2] Cognate with Ancient Greek σκέλος (skélos, “thigh, leg”) and σκολιός (skoliós, “crooked, unjust”), Old English sceolh (“oblique, squinting”) and German scheel (“squinting”).^[2][1]

The OLD calls the origin doubtful and notes that the original idea has been taken to be a religious taboo incurred by guilt.^[3] Lewis and Short connected it with the root of Sanskrit स्खलति (skhálati, “stumbles”); de Vaan assigns that verb to another root, with σφάλλω (sphállō, “to trip up”).^[4][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Plautus on,^[2][5] first in the sense “misfortune sent by the gods, curse”: quod hoc est scelus? “what curse is this?”^[3]

Semantic evolution

From an affliction sent by the angry gods, scelus came to mean a wicked or accursed act, a crime, and wickedness as a quality.^[3] Lewis and Short call it the strongest general term for a morally bad act.^[4] Scelerum caput “fount of crimes” is a term of abuse, and scelus alone, “you villain!”, is common in comedy for a person whose existence is a crime.^[3]

In Church Latin it is used for sin.^[6]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – First found in Plautus, as a curse or affliction and as a term of abuse (abin ā mē, scelus?).^[2][3][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero speaks of a man endowed with greed, audacity and scelus, wickedness.^[3][5]

Meanings

Noun

1. A misfortune sent by the gods, an affliction, a curse.^[3]
2. A wicked act, a crime, a villainy.^[3][4]
3. scelerum caput, “fount of iniquity” (abuse).^[3]
4. Wickedness.^[3][1]
5. (colloquial) A villain, a scoundrel.^[3][1]
6. (Ecclesiastical Latin) sin.^[6]

Word family

• scelerō
• scelerōsus
• scelerus
• scelestus
• scelio
• scelerātus

Usage notes

Döderlein distinguishes scelus, an offence against others or the peace of society (robbery, murder, sedition), from flāgitium, a shameful offence against one's own honour, and nefās, an offence against the gods or nature.^[7] Facinus is a crime remarkable for its daring.^[7]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f 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 j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
7. ^ a b Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper