ignobilitas Latin · revision 33358

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 180–102 BC, Lucilius|origins=ine-pro *ǵnéh3-}}

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''ignōbilitās''' ''f'' (genitive ignōbilitātis); third declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|la|ignōbilis|-tās|t1=unknown; low-born]].^(OLD 2012)^(TLL)^(Wiktionary) [[m|la|ignōbilis]] is [[m|la|in-|t=not]] with [[m|la|nōbilis|t=known, noble]],^(OLD 2012) from the root of [[m|la|nōscō|t=to get to know]]; de Vaan reports Leumann's view that ⟨gnōbilis⟩ was back-formed from ⟨ignōbilis⟩, itself made from a noun ⟨*gnō-bulum⟩ “sign of recognition”.^(de Vaan 2008) He traces [[m|la|nōscō]] to [[ine-pro|*ǵnéh3-|t=to know]].^(de Vaan 2008) Cognate with [[sa|जानाति|tr=jānā́ti|t=to know, recognize]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan, Köbler and the TLL record it from Lucilius,^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)^(TLL) who uses it of humble birth.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It means obscurity, lack of fame: Cicero speaks of people nobody names because of their obscurity, and asks whether obscurity, low station or unpopularity will stop the wise man from being happy.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(TLL) Pliny the Elder uses it of an artist's obscurity and Tacitus of a common soldier made safer by it.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(TLL) It also means low birth: Sallust has Jugurtha despised because on his mother's side he was not of equal birth, and Seneca the Elder people who reproached Marcus Agrippa with his humble origin.^(TLL) Columella uses it of the poor quality of a wine.^(TLL) The TLL notes that in verse it is found only in Lucilius and Ovid.^(TLL)

+

+ In Church Latin it is dishonour, obscurity,^(Stelten 1995) and in medieval Latin also meanness, baseness of character.^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius, of humble birth.^(OLD 2012)^(TLL)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero, of obscurity.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 86–34 BC – Sallust, of Jugurtha's birth.^(TLL)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 98–115 AD – Tacitus, of a soldier's obscurity.^(TLL)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Lack of fame, [[m|en|obscurity]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Low [[m|en|birth]], humble origin.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(of things)'' Poor quality.^(TLL)

+ # ''(Ecclesiastical Latin)'' [[m|en|dishonour|alt=Dishonour]].^(Stelten 1995)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' Meanness, base character.^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[ignōbiliter]]

+ * [[nōbilitās]]

+ * [[nōbilis]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}