turpitudo

Forms

turpitūdō f (genitive turpitūdinis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from turpis (“ugly, shameful”) with the suffix -tūdō.^[2][1] The origin of ⟨turpis⟩ is unknown: Walde–Hofmann and Pokorny compared Sanskrit त्रपते (trapate, “is ashamed”), from Proto-Indo-European *trep- (“to turn”), taking the adjective as “repelling”, but de Vaan finds this too contrived.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus, Pseudolus: if the gods give a boy a pimp's slavery and add ugliness too (sī addunt turpitūdinem).^[2]

Semantic evolution

Its literal sense, ugliness or deformity, is rare.^[2][4] Usually it is the shameful quality of a person or act, baseness, turpitude, and in particular indecency, as Cicero's manifest scandal of an erased record.^[2] It is also a shameful reputation, disgrace, as the Rhetorica ad Herennium advises spreading a rumour that brings the opponents some disgrace.^[2] Cicero asks whether there is any evil greater than turpitūdō.^[4]

Church Latin glosses it “disgrace, dishonor, obscenity, ugliness”.^[5] In medieval Latin it also meant the private parts.^[6] English turpitude dates from the late 15th century (Caxton), through Old French.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of ugliness.^[2][8]
• 86/82 BC – The Rhetorica ad Herennium of disgrace.^[2][8]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero of baseness.^[2][8]
• late 15th century – English turpitude.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. ugliness, deformity.^[2][1][5]
2. Baseness, turpitude, indecency.^[2][1][5]
3. disgrace, dishonour, infamy.^[2][1][5]
4. (Medieval Latin) The private parts.^[6]

Related words

• turpiculus
• turpificātus
• turpiloquium
• turpilucrīcupidus
• turpilucrus
• turpis
• turpiter
• turpō
• English turpitude

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c d Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
6. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
8. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de