Limbo
/ˈlɪm.boʊ/noun
A state of uncertainty or a place of confinement, often referring to the afterlife or a transitional state.
Did you know?In medieval theology, Limbo was believed to be the resting place for unbaptized infants and virtuous pagans, caught between heaven and hell, forever in suspense.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
limbus
“edge or boundary, often referring to a borderland between states of existence.”
Old French
Old French
limbe
“an area of confinement or a state of uncertainty.”
Middle English
Middle English
limbo
“a place or state of confinement, often with religious connotations.”
Modern English
Modern English
limbo
“a term referring to a state of neglect or an intermediate state, especially in relation to the afterlife.”