repudiare

Repudiare is a verb of Latin origin meaning to reject, disown, or repudiate. In Latin, the term denotes the act of repudiation, particularly the husband’s repudiation of his wife, an act associated with the concept repudium. The noun repudium refers to that divorce or rejection, and related uses extend to the rejection of a contract, oath, or alliance. In modern Romance languages, the sense survives in various forms, though the precise spelling and frequency vary by language.

Etymology and forms: Repudiare derives from Latin repudium, meaning repudiation or divorce. The English cognate repudiate comes via French and Latin. In Italian, the standard verb for “to repudiate” is ripudiare; repudiare appears mainly in historical, literary, or legal registers and is largely uncommon in contemporary speech.

Usage in Latin and historical contexts: In Classical and Late Latin, repudiare is used to indicate severing a bond or obligation, often with an object such as uxorem (a wife) or a contract. The associated legal category repudium played a role in early discussions of marriage, legitimacy, and property, reflecting social practices surrounding divorce by repudiation.

Contemporary usage: Outside scholarly or legal contexts, repudiare is rarely used in modern Italian or other Romance languages, where ripudiare or the equivalent term is preferred. In English, repudiate is the common reflex of the Latin root, with related concepts of denial, rejection, and repudiation.

See also: repudium, repudiation, divorce in ancient law, Roman law, ripudiare.