Etymologically
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turpitudo

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [tʊr.pɪˈtuː.doː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [tur.piˈtuː.do][1]

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]
  • 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