English
incubus
Incubus comes from Late Latin incubus ‘the nightmare, incubus’, from Proto-Italic *enkubāō ‘to lie in’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱewb-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱewb-root as named
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁én‘in’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*en‘in’reconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*en-‘in, into, in-’reconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*kubāō‘to lie down’reconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*enkubāō‘to lie in’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEincubō‘nightmare, one who lies down on the sleeper’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEincubus‘the nightmare, incubus’
- Englishearliest quotation 1949incubus
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱewb-root as named
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁én‘in’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*en‘in’reconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*en-‘in, into, in-’reconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*kubāō‘to lie down’reconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*enkubāō‘to lie in’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEincubō‘nightmare, one who lies down on the sleeper’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEincubus‘the nightmare, incubus’
- Englishearliest quotation 1949incubus
Earliest quotation: 1949, and April, I Saw Three Englands–2: “Ahead of us the lowering smoke-screen of Leeds and…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ḱewb-
hip, cove, incumbent, succumb, hobble, shoop, concubine, 14 more
through Proto-Indo-European *h₁én ‘in’
in, internal, entrance, indigenous, intern, endo, dysentery, interregnum, enteral, 33 more
through Proto-Italic *en ‘in’
encounter, intimate, ensemble, intestine, agog, intimation, 9 more
through Proto-Italic *en- ‘in, into, in-’
impulse, infirmary, incense, infirm, impel, censer, 8 more
through Proto-Italic *kubāō ‘to lie down’
Today it means
noun An evil spirit supposed to oppress people while asleep, especially to have sex with women as they sleep.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱewb- / incubus