limbo
UK[ˈlɪmbəʊ]US[ˈlɪmboʊ]
n
an uncertain period of awaiting a decision or resolution; an intermediate state or condition.
n
(in some christian beliefs) the supposed abode of the souls of unbaptized infants, and of the just who died before christ's coming.
n
a west indian dance in which the dancer bends backward to pass under a horizontal bar which is progressively lowered.
Etymology
the word 'limbo' originates from the latin term 'limbus', signifying a border, edge, or hem. in medieval christian theology, this concrete concept of a marginal space was abstracted to name a spiritual borderland—a state on the edge of hell reserved for souls not condemned to punishment but denied the beatific vision. this theological sense of an intermediate, unresolved state was later secularized in the 20th century to describe any condition of neglect, oblivion, or uncertainty. the name of the limbo dance, which involves passing under a boundary or bar, is a separate, later borrowing from the caribbean, likely influenced by the word's association with being in a low, borderline state.
Analysis
the word 'limbo' is a simplex loanword from latin, entering english via medieval latin. its core element is the latin 'limbus', meaning 'edge' or 'border'.
Examples
the project has been in limbo for months due to lack of funding.
theologians once debated the nature of limbo as a place for unbaptized infants.
she won the contest with her impressive skill at the limbo.