Etymologically
Log in

virginitas

History Permalink

Etymology and origin of the Latin word virginitas

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
81/79–52/50 BC, Catullus
Ultimate origin
Latin (virgō)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin virgo
French vierge
Latin virginitas
Latin virgineus

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [wɪrˈɡɪ.nɪ.taːs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [virˈd͡ʒiː.ni.tas][1]

Forms

virginitās f (genitive virginitātis); third declension[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin virgō (“girl, virgin”) + -tās.[2][1][3] De Vaan finds no accepted origin for virgō: Walde and Hofmann took it as a derivative of virga “twig”, and he rejects a proposed compound “young woman”.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Catullus,[3] who tells a girl that her maidenhood is not wholly hers but partly her parents'.[2]

Semantic evolution

It is the state of a girl of marriageable age, and virginity in the strict sense: Cicero tells of one said to have killed her father when he tried to violate her virginity.[2] It is also the state of a woman vowed to a celibate life, as of Camilla in Virgil.[2] In Late Latin it is used concretely for virgins collectively.[5] English virginity dates from about 1300, through Anglo-French and Old French.[6]

Timeline

  • 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus of a girl's maidenhood.[2][3]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of virginity.[2][3]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil of Camilla's love of virginity.[2][3]
  • c. 1300 – English virginity.[6]

Meanings

Noun

  1. The state of a girl of marriageable age, maidenhood.[2][5][1]
  2. Virginity.[2][5][1][7]
  3. The state of a woman vowed to celibacy.[2]
  4. (Late Latin) Virgins collectively.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
Cite this entry

“Virginitas.” Etymologically, 20 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/virginitas. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·