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violatio

Etymology and origin of the Latin word violatio

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Livy
Ultimate origin
Latin (vīs)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin violatio
English violation

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [wi.ɔˈɫaː.ti.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [vi.oˈlat.t͡si.o][1]

Forms

violātiō f (genitive violātiōnis); third declension[1]

Etymology

It is from violō “to treat with violence, profane” with the suffix -tiō; ⟨violō⟩ is related to vīs “force”.[2][1][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lewis & Short and Köbler cite Livy, of the profanation of a temple.[5][3] Köbler dates Livy 59 BC–17 AD.[3]

Semantic evolution

It was profane treatment of something sacred, a violation, as in Livy's templī violātiō, and Lewis & Short note that it is not in Cicero or Caesar.[2][5]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant violation, profanation.[6] British Medieval Latin used it for desecration, pollution, defilement, also figuratively.[7] English violation (about 1400, “defilement, desecration”) came through Old French and directly from Latin.[4]

Timeline

  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it.[5][3]
  • c. 1400 – English violation is recorded.[4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Profanation, violation; desecration.[2][7]

Usage notes

An inscription has a different violātiō, from viola “violet”: the decking of graves with violets on the day of the violets.[2][8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ a b 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
  8. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.

Borrowed into

Cite this entry

“Violatio.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/violatio. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·