felix culpa

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin fēlīx culpa (“happy fault”), via Roman Catholic theology.

Noun

felix culpa (plural felix culpas or felices culpae)

1. (literary) A series of miserable events that will eventually lead to a happier outcome.
2. (religion) The Biblical story of the fall of Adam and Eve and the loss of the Garden of Eden, known theologically as the source of original sin - meaning that this loss of innocence was a fortunate fall because of the good that would come from it, that is, Christian redemption and the eventual hope of Heaven.

Latin

Etymology

From fēlīx (“happy”) + culpa (“fault, blame”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈfeː.liːks ˈkul.pa/, [ˈfeːlʲiːks̠ ˈkʊɫ̪pä]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈfe.liks ˈkul.pa/, [ˈfɛːliks ˈkulpä]

Noun

fēlīx culpa f (genitive fēlīcis culpae); first declension

1. (religion) blessed fault, fortunate fall, used in reference to the Fall of Man.
   • 1265-1274. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, III, 1, 3, ad 3,

     O felix culpa!

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • (Can we date this quote?), Traditional Latin Mass, and Exsultet of the Easter Vigil masses:

     O felix culpa quae talem et tantum meruit habere redemptorem. ("O happy fault that earned us so good and great a Redeemer.")

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Declension

Third-declension adjective with a first-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	fēlīx culpa	fēlīcēs culpae
genitive	fēlīcis culpae	fēlīcium culpārum
dative	fēlīcī culpae	fēlīcibus culpīs
accusative	fēlīcem culpam	fēlīcēs culpās
ablative	fēlīcī culpā	fēlīcibus culpīs
vocative	fēlīx culpa	fēlīcēs culpae