foedus Latin · revision 2749

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=204–169 BC, Ennius|origins=ine-pro *bʰeydʰ-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈfoe̯.dʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈfɛː.dus]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''foedus''' ''n'' (genitive foederis); third declension^(Wiktionary)

+ Poets often use the plural in a singular sense.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|itc-pro|*feiðos|t=faithful]], [[inh|ine-pro|*bʰeydʰ-os]], from the root [[ine-pro|*bʰeydʰ-|t=to trust]] of [[fides|alt=fidēs]], [[fido|alt=fīdō]] and [[fidus|alt=fīdus]].^(Wiktionary)^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Etymonline)^(Köbler 2010) The old forms confirm the diphthong: Ennius wrote [[m|la|fidus]] for it, and the Salian hymn had a genitive plural [[m|la|foidesum]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Köbler too derives it from the verb “to trust”.^(Köbler 2010) It is unrelated to the adjective ''foedus'' “foul”; see Usage notes.^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is attested from Ennius,^(Köbler 2010) who has a king say “give and receive a pledge and strike a firm [[m|en|treaty]]”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Its first sense was a formal agreement between states, a treaty of peace or alliance, and Livy distinguishes the ''foedus aequum'', between equals, from the ''foedus iniquum'', which recognised one party as superior, and poets used it of a truce.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) The fetial priests concluded treaties, and to break one (''foedus rumpere'', ''violare'') was a crime.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Gaffiot 2016)

+

+ It then meant a compact between private persons, such as Cicero's “compact of wise men”, the bond of marriage or of other unions, a tie of friendship, kinship or hospitality, and a law of nature or fate, as in Lucretius' “by what law of nature” a magnet attracts iron.^(OLD 2012) Christian Latin used it for the biblical [[m|en|covenant]], and ''arca foederis'' is the Ark of the Covenant;^(Wiktionary)^(Köbler 2010)^(Stelten 1995) medieval Latin added a written record, and a rite or ceremony.^(MLW)^(Köbler 2010) The adjective [[foederatus|alt=foederātus]] gave French ''fédéral'' and English [[m|en|federal]], a theological term in the 1640s before its political sense.^(Etymonline)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of striking a treaty.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of treaties, of a private compact and of the law of nature.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus uses it of the marriage bond.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of a law of nature.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 59 BC–17 AD – Livy explains the kinds of treaty and uses it of a tie of hospitality.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 7th century – The Visigothic law has a medieval sense.^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 1640s – [[en|federal|alt=Federal]] is formed from it in English.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|treaty]] between states, a league, an alliance; a truce.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # A compact between private persons; a promise.^(OLD 2012)

+ # The bond of marriage or of another union.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A tie of friendship, kinship or hospitality.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A law or limit set by nature or fate.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(Christian Latin)'' A [[m|en|covenant]], as in ''arca foederis'', the Ark of the Covenant.^(Wiktionary)^(Köbler 2010)^(Stelten 1995)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' A written record; a rite, a ceremony.^(MLW)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[foederō]]

+ * [[foedifragus]]

+ * [[confoedustus]]

+ * [[foederātus]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[fidēs]]

+ * [[en|federal]]

+ * [[en|confederate]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The adjective ''foedus'' “foul, loathsome, shameful” is a different word, which de Vaan derives from [[ine-pro|*bʰiH-|t=to be afraid]], with an original sense “frightful”; it survives in Italian ''fedo'', Portuguese ''feio'' and Spanish ''feo'' “ugly”.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)^(OLD 2012) Döderlein distinguishes ''foedus'', a mutual security on the ground of a sacred contract, from [[societas|alt=societās]], a joint undertaking on the ground of a mere agreement.^(Döderlein 1874)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}