Etymograph

English

succubus

Succubus comes from Late Latin succuba ‘strumpet, especially a mythological fiend in…’, from Latin succubo ‘to lie under’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱewb-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱewb-root as named
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kubāō‘to lie down’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcubōas cubare‘to lie down’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsuccubo‘to lie under’
  5. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEsuccuba‘strumpet, especially a mythological fiend in female form who has intercourse with men in…’
  6. Englishtodaysuccubus

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱewb-root as named
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kubāō‘to lie down’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcubōas cubare‘to lie down’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsuccubo‘to lie under’
  5. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEsuccuba‘strumpet, especially a mythological fiend in female form who has intercourse with men in…’
  6. Englishtodaysuccubus

The story

Pseudo-Latinism, derived from alteration of Late Latin succuba (‘strumpet, especially a mythological fiend in female form who has intercourse with men in their sleep’) based on incubus in Middle English, from Latin succubo (‘to lie under’), from sub- (‘under’) + cubare (‘to lie down’).

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *ḱewb-

hip, cove, incumbent, concubine, hobble, shoop, 14 more

through Proto-Italic *kubāō ‘to lie down’

incubation, incubate, incubus, 16 more

through Latin cubō ‘to lie down’

covid, cube, cubicle, cubit, 15 more

Today it means

noun A female demon which comes to men, especially monks, in their dreams to seduce them and have sexual intercourse, drawing energy from the men to sustain themselves, often until the point of exhaustion or death.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱewb- / succubus

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