castus

Latin

Etymology

Verbal adjective from the same root of careō (“I lack”), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *ḱes- (“to cut”). Compare the meanings of pūrus/putus and derived putō. Related to Etruscan 𐌂𐌀𐌔𐌕𐌂𐌄 (castce).

Pronunciation

Adjective

castus (feminine casta, neuter castum, comparative castior, superlative castissimus, adverb castē); first/second-declension adjective

  1. morally pure, guiltless, spotless
    Synonyms: innoxius, īnsōns, innocēns
    Antonyms: reus, obnoxius, noxius, cōnscius
  2. especially in regard to sexual morality: pure, chaste, unpolluted, virtuous, continent
    • 8 CE, Ovid, Fasti 4.307–308:
      casta quidem, sed nōn et crēdita: rūmor inīquus
      laeserat, et falsī crīminis ācta rea est.
      Chaste, [she was] indeed, and yet had not been believed [to be so]:
      unjust slander had wronged her, and she was charged on a false accusation.
      (See Claudia Quinta.)
  3. pure, free from barbarisms
  4. in a religious context: religious, pious, holy, sacred

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

Number Singular Plural
Case / Gender Masculine Feminine Neuter Masculine Feminine Neuter
Nominative castus casta castum castī castae casta
Genitive castī castae castī castōrum castārum castōrum
Dative castō castō castīs
Accusative castum castam castum castōs castās casta
Ablative castō castā castō castīs
Vocative caste casta castum castī castae casta

Derived terms

Descendants

Noun

castus m (genitive castūs); fourth declension

  1. (pre-Classical, post-Classical) an abstinence from sensual enjoyments on religious grounds

Declension

Fourth-declension noun.

Case Singular Plural
Nominative castus castūs
Genitive castūs castuum
Dative castuī castibus
Accusative castum castūs
Ablative castū castibus
Vocative castus castūs

Synonyms

Derived terms

References
  • “castus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • “castus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • castus in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
  • castus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
  • De Vaan, Michiel (2008) Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7)‎, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN
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