Corpus
/ˈkɔːr.pəs/noun
A body of people or things, or a collection of writings or evidence.
Did you know?Corpus is the same ancient word behind corpse, corporal, and corpulence, all tracing back to Latin’s brutally simple idea of the human body.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kʷrep- / *kʷer-
“A root connected with the body or form, ultimately giving rise to Latin body-words.”
Latin
Latin
corpus
“Body; physical body; the body as a whole; a collection or body of things.”
Late Latin
Latin
corpus
“A body of writings, laws, or persons gathered as one unit.”
Old French
Old French
corps
“Body; corpse; a group or body of people.”
Middle English
English
corpus
“A body of writings, statutes, or collected material, especially in legal or scholarly use.”
Modern English
English
corpus
“A body or organized collection of texts, data, evidence, or other material.”
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