dubius

Latin

Etymology

Somewhat uncertain, but likely derived from *dubos (“in doubt”, adj.), from Proto-Italic *du(i)βべーたwos, from Proto-Indo-European *dwi- (“two-”) + *bʰuH- (“to be”), with the same latter element as in superbus, probus (less likely tribus), in this case parallel to Ancient Greek διφυής (diphuḗs, “of two shapes or natures”). Or less likely, directly from Proto-Indo-European *dubʰi- (“on two sides”).

For the relation to "two" cf. Ancient Greek δισσός (dissós, “twofold; doubtful”), δοιάζω (doiázō, “to be in two minds”) and German Zweifel (“doubt”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈdu.bi.us/, [ˈd̪ʊbiʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈdu.bi.us/, [ˈd̪uːbius]

Adjective

dubius (feminine dubia, neuter dubium); first/second-declension adjective

1. Moving in two directions alternately, vibrating to and fro, fluctuating, wavering
2. (figuratively) Vacillating in mind, wavering, uncertain, doubting, doubtful, dubious, irresolute, undetermined

   Synonyms: incertus, suspensus, vagus, anceps

   Antonyms: fixus, prōmptus, indubius

   • 29 BCE – 19 BCE, Virgil, Aeneid 4.55:

     [...] spemque dedit dubiae mentī, solvitque pudōrem.

     [...] and [Anna] gave hope to [Dido’s] wavering mind, and absolved [her sister’s sense of] shame.

3. (of a situation) Precarious, dangerous, critical, difficult, adverse, doubtful, in doubt

   Synonyms: perīculōsus, īnfēnsus, anceps, capitālis

   • 8 CE, Ovid, Fasti 2.781:

     exitus in dubiō est

     The result is in doubt

4. (of weather) Changeable, uncertain

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

Number	Singular				Plural
Case / Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	dubius	dubia	dubium		dubiī	dubiae	dubia
Genitive	dubiī	dubiae	dubiī		dubiōrum	dubiārum	dubiōrum
Dative	dubiō		dubiō		dubiīs
Accusative	dubium	dubiam	dubium		dubiōs	dubiās	dubia
Ablative	dubiō	dubiā	dubiō		dubiīs
Vocative	dubie	dubia	dubium		dubiī	dubiae	dubia

Derived terms

• dubiē
• dubietās
• dubiō
• dubiōsus
• dubium

Related terms

• dubitābilis
• dubitanter
• dubitātim
• dubitātiō
• dubitātīvus
• dubitātor
• dubitātus
• dubitō
• dubō (hapax, gloss)

Descendants

• → English: dubious
• → Italian: dubbio
• → Portuguese: dúbio
• → Sicilian: dùbbitu

References

• De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “dubius”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 180
• Walde, Alois, Hofmann, Johann Baptist (1938) “dubius”, in Lateinisches etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German), 3rd edition, volume 1, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, page 375

Further reading

• “dubius”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “dubius”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• dubius 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)
• dubius in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • a critical position; a hopeless state of affairs: res dubiae, perditae, afflictae
    
  • vague rumours reach us: dubii rumores afferuntur ad nos
    
  • to throw doubt upon a thing: in dubio ponere
    
  • to leave a thing undecided: aliquid in medio, in dubio relinquere (Cael. 20. 48)
    
  • without doubt, beyond all doubt: sine dubio (not sine ullo dubio)
    
  • (ambiguous) to throw doubt upon a thing: in dubium vocare
    
  • (ambiguous) to become doubtful: in dubium venire
    
  • (ambiguous) to leave a thing undecided: aliquid dubium, incertum relinquere