ACCVBITVS & other lINgikr`i

for the pleasure of maudite entendante and raine, who will publish a piece about a fun word, accubitus, which means "to share a bed without humpery", in issue three of QVENCH zine. (go away, we haven't even finished it. we've only got like 1/5 of the pages we need and everyone is away being tortured by their natal families except for me, so their pages will come via post and or in the beginning of the next month when they get back. so go read issues one and two closely, okay? there's a lot there. subtle, and such. and we spent an awful amount of energy putting them online in superhirez scans anyway.)

• accubitus-the-painting
• etymological information taken from the latin-english dictionary wordlist, v. 1.97Ec; a listing from the WORDS latin dictionary (also found in unassimilated forms as adc-)

first, the actual word and its closest relatives:

• accubitalia, accubitaliae N F [XXXFS]: a covering spread over dining table couches
• accubitatio, accubitationis N F [DXXFS]: reclining (at meals), lying (at table)
• accubitio, accubitionis N F [XXXEO]: reclining (at meals), lying (at table); couch (L+S)
• accubitorius, accubitoria, accubitorium ADJ [DXXFS]: pertaining to reclining (at table)
• accubitum, accubiti N N [DXXFS]: couch for large number of guests to recline at meals (triclinium/3 seats)
• accubitus, accubitus N M [XXXEO]: reclining (at meals), lying (at table); couch/seat; place for a couch (L+S)
• accubo ADV [XXXFO]: in a prone/recumbent position

this may explain its origin as meaning "without carnal contact": originally, it meant to share a "roman chair" at a banquet, which frequently ended with the whole room sleeping "accubitus" (in their couch-chairs), and hence each couple was not normally to be found in flagrante delicto.

although the greeks had a bad history for orgies with their couch-friend, who was always another male since women could not be around nonfamilial men, and the etruscans had a similar penchant but with women or men, having no fear of their women being around "alien" men.

etruscan tombs usually show the enclosed and loving couple accubitus, sometimes in flagrante delicto. (i was in firenze, sue me for going all etruscan-psychotic.)

compare to the forms in com-:

• concubatio, concubationis N F [DXXFS]: lying/reclining upon
• concubeo, concubere, concubui, concubitus V DAT [EXXDW]: lie with (sexual and not); have sexual intercourse with;
• concubina, concubinae N F [XXXCO]: concubine; kept mistress, one living in concubinage; (milder than paelex L+S)
• concubinalis, concubinalis, concubinale ADJ [DXXFS]: lascivious, lewd, wanton; voluptuous
• concubinarius, concubinaria, concubinarium ADJ [EXXFE]: of/related to concubines
• concubinarius, concubinarii N M [EXXFE]: keeper of concubines
• concubinatus, concubinatus N M [XXXDO]: concubinage; cohabiting when not married; illicit intercourse;
• concubinus, concubini N M [XXXCO]: catamite; male paramour; kept man, one who lives in concubinage
• concubitalis, concubitalis, concubitale ADJ [XXXFO]: relating to sexual intercourse
• concubitio, concubitionis N F [XXXFO]: sexual intercourse, coitus
• concubitor, concubitoris N M [XXXFO]: fellow sleeper; sleeping partner; bed fellow/mate; cohabitor; concubine
• concubitus, concubitus N M [XXXCO]: lying together (sleeping/dining/sex); sexual intercourse, coitus; sexual act
• concubium, concubii N N [XXXCO]: early night/first sleep/bedtime; sexual intercourse
• concubius, concubia, concubium ADJ [XXXCO]: of lying in sleep [nox ~ => the early night/first sleep/bedtime]
• concubo, concubare, concubavi, concubatus V DAT [XXXFO]: lie with (sexual and not); have sexual intercourse with

yeah. slightly different meaning when you change the prefix from "à" to "avec" (or, as we métissantes says, avIk).

oh, and here's the root(s):

• cubans, (gen.), cubantis ADJ [XXXDO]: lying, resting on the ground; low lying; sagging, sloping, liable to subside
• cubatio, cubationis N F [XXXFO]: action of lying down
• cubator, cubatoris N M [DXXFS]: one who lies down
• cubi ADV [XXXEO]: at any place; on any occasion; [w/ne necubi => lest at any place/occasion]
• cubicularis, cubicularis, cubiculare ADJ [XXXDO]: of a bedroom, pertaining to a bedroom
• cubicularius, cubiculari(i) N M [XXXDO]: valet-de-chambre, bed-chamber servant; chamberlain, head of chamber servants
• cubicularius, cubicularia, cubicularium ADJ [XXXES]: of a bedroom, pertaining to a bedroom
• cubiculata, cubiculatae N F [XWXFO]: ship equipped with sleeping apartments/staterooms
• cubiculatus, cubiculata, cubiculatum ADJ [XWXFS]: equipped with sleeping apartments/staterooms (ship)
• cubiculum, cubiculi N N [XXXBO]: bedroom; sleeping chamber/apartment/suite (as scene of marital/other sex)
• cubiculum, cubiculi N N [XXXBO]: bed (any sort); any room; Emperor's box; inner shrine of temple; tomb/sepulcher
• cubile, cubilis N N [XXXBO]: bed, couch, seat; marriage bed; lair, den, nest, pen, hive of bees; base, bed
• cubital, cubitalis N N [XXXFO]: elbow cushion; cushion for leaning on (L+S)
• cubitio, cubitionis N F [DXXFS]: reclining/lying down
• cubitissim ADV [BXXFS]: lying down?
• cubito, cubitare, cubitavi, cubitatus V INTRANS [XXXCO]: recline, lie down, take rest, sleep; lie down often; lie/sleep (sexual)
• cubitor, cubitoris N M [XXXFO]: one who lies down; (on the job); (of an ox refusing to work)
• cubitorius, cubitoria, cubitorium ADJ [XXXFO]: suitable for reclining in at dinner; of a reclining posture (L+S)
• cubitum, cubiti N N [XXXBO]: elbow; forearm; ulna; cubit (length - 17.4 inches); elbow bend/pipe
• cubitura, cubiturae N F [XXXFO]: state/action of reclining/lying down/taking rest; bed, couch
• cubitus, cubitus N M [XXXCO]: state/action of reclining/lying down/taking rest; bed, couch

okay!