conubium

Alternative forms

 * (less correctly)

Etymology
Equivalent to. Per De Vaan, the cō-n- (found also in other words that are on the surface composed of + a stem starting with n-) has been explained as a development from previous *com-sn-. Weiss reconstructs the word as going back to an original form *kon-snoubii̯om. It is not simple to determine the usual length of the vowel in the second syllable using poetic evidence (see below). Long ū would be the regular outcome of a diphthong derived from the e- or o-grade of the Proto-Indo-European root (and would get analogical support from the long ū in ); on the other hand, the related words and  can be cited to support the possibility of a pronunciation with short /u/, which would come from the zero grade of the Proto-Indo-European root.

Pronunciation

 * In poetry, the pronunciation of conubi- in this word varies, apparently based in part on the requirements of the meter. When this sequence is followed by a heavy syllable (as in the nominative/accusative singular, when not elided into a light syllable) the pronunciation cōnūbĭ- is impossible in dactylic verse: the word instead is scanned either with -i- pronounced as a consonant /j/ (making conubi- a spondee, cōnūbj-) or with short /u/ in the second syllable (making conubi- a dactyl, cōnŭbĭ-). It is debated which is correct. The nominative/accusative plural is always scanned as cōnūbĭă when the following word starts with a consonant: this pronunciation unambiguously contains long ū, but length in this context could be coerced by metrical necessity since cōnŭbĭă with three short syllables would not fit in dactylic meter. When the final syllable is elided, the shorter pronunciation as either cōnŭbĭa or cōnūbja can be found.
 * In poetry, the pronunciation of conubi- in this word varies, apparently based in part on the requirements of the meter. When this sequence is followed by a heavy syllable (as in the nominative/accusative singular, when not elided into a light syllable) the pronunciation cōnūbĭ- is impossible in dactylic verse: the word instead is scanned either with -i- pronounced as a consonant /j/ (making conubi- a spondee, cōnūbj-) or with short /u/ in the second syllable (making conubi- a dactyl, cōnŭbĭ-). It is debated which is correct. The nominative/accusative plural is always scanned as cōnūbĭă when the following word starts with a consonant: this pronunciation unambiguously contains long ū, but length in this context could be coerced by metrical necessity since cōnŭbĭă with three short syllables would not fit in dactylic meter. When the final syllable is elided, the shorter pronunciation as either cōnŭbĭa or cōnūbja can be found.

Noun

 * 1) marriage, wedlock
 * 2)  ceremony of marriage
 * 3)  sexual union; confer
 * 4)  an engrafting
 * 1)  an engrafting
 * 1)  an engrafting

Derived terms

 * Castī connū̆biī (of chaste wedlock)