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turpis

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word turpis

Confidence
Uncertain
First attested
c. 250–184 BC, Plautus

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈtʊr.pɪs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈtur.pis][1]

Forms

turpis (neuter turpe, comparative turpior, superlative turpissimus, adverb turpiter); third-declension two-termination adjective[1]

Etymology

The origin is uncertain.[2][1] The OLD and Köbler compare Sanskrit त्रपते (trápate, “is ashamed”), from Proto-Indo-European *trep- (“to turn”), taking the word as “repelling”; de Vaan finds this meaning too contrived, and a link with torpeō “to be numb” does not explain the sense well either.[3][4][2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Plautus on:[2][4] purpura aetātī occultanda est, aurum turpī mulierī, “purple hides age, gold an ugly woman”.[3]

Semantic evolution

Turpis means physically foul, disgusting, and ugly, unsightly, also of sounds, “harsh”.[3][1] Applied to conduct it means “shameful, disgraceful, dishonourable” (turpe est “it is shameful”), to persons “base, infamous”, and to language and practices “indecent, obscene”.[3][5]

The noun turpitūdō means “ugliness” and “disgrace”.[2]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – First found in Plautus, of an ugly woman.[3][2][4]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence: vestītū turpī, “in filthy clothes”.[3][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero: nēmō umquam nisi turpis impūrusque, “no one except a base and impure man”.[3][4]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Foul, filthy, disgusting.[3][5][1]
  2. ugly, unsightly.[3][1][6]
  3. (of sound) Harsh, disagreeable.[1]
  4. shameful, disgraceful, dishonourable.[3][1][6]
  5. (of persons) Base, infamous.[3]
  6. Indecent, obscene.[3]

Word family

  • perturpis
  • subturpis
  • turpiculus
  • turpificātus
  • turpiloquium
  • turpiloquus
  • turpilucrus
  • turpitūdō
  • turpō
  • turpilucricupidus
  • turpiter

Usage notes

Döderlein distinguishes turpis, what offends moral feeling or decency and is opposed to honestus, from taeter, what is hideous and frightening, foedus, what disgusts, and dēfōrmis, what is unshapely.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e 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 l 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 Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
Cite this entry

“Turpis.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/turpis. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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