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excrementum

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word excrementum

excrementum1 refuse, excrement

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1–100 Columella
Ultimate origin
Latin excernō
Etymology tree of excrementum1
inherited borrowed derived
Latin cernō
Latin excernō
Latin excrēmentum
From the same root · excrementum1
Latin certō ← cernō
Latin concernō ← cernō
Latin crīmen ← cernō
Latin dēcernō ← cernō
Latin discernō ← cernō
Latin incernō ← cernō
Latin sēcernō ← cernō

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ɛk.skreːˈmɛn.tũː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ek.skreˈmɛn.tum][1]

Forms

excrēmentum n (genitive excrēmentī); second declension[1]

Etymology

The word for refuse and excrement is formed from Latin excernō (“to sift out, discharge”) + -mentum.[2][3][1] Köbler likewise derives it from excernō.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Columella, in the 1st century AD, is the first author the OLD cites, using it of the siftings of wheat: tritici excrementis, “with the siftings of wheat”.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

From what is sifted out and thrown away, the word came to mean the waste matter of the body.[2][3] Pliny the Elder uses it of urine, Tacitus of spittle (oris excrementum) and of the mucus of the nose (narium excrementa).[2][3] Palladius has it for the residue of pressed grapes.[5]

In Medieval Latin it kept the sense of whatever is discharged or separated off.[6] English took it over in the 16th century as excrement, at first of any bodily secretion.[7]

Timeline

  • 1st century AD – Columella uses it of the siftings of wheat.[2][4]
  • 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses it of urine and other waste matter of the body.[2][4]
  • 98–115 AD – Tacitus uses it of spittle and of the mucus of the nose.[2][4]
  • 1530s – English borrows it as excrement.[7]

Meanings

Noun

  1. What is sifted out; refuse.[2][3]
  2. Waste matter from the body, excrement; also urine, spittle or mucus.[2][3][8]

excrementum2 outgrowth

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
39–65 Lucan
Ultimate origin
Latin excrēscō
Etymology tree of excrementum2
inherited borrowed derived
Latin crēscō
Italian crescere
Spanish crecer
Latin excrēscō
Latin excrēmentum
From the same root · excrementum2
Latin concrēscō ← crēscō
Latin dēcrēscō ← crēscō
Latin incrēscō ← crēscō
Latin prōcrescō ← crēscō
Latin recrescō ← crēscō
Latin excrēscentia ← excrēscō

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ɛk.skreːˈmɛn.tũː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ek.skreˈmɛn.tum][1]

Forms

excrēmentum n (genitive excrēmentī); second declension[1]

Etymology

The word for an outgrowth is formed from Latin excrēscō (“to grow out”) + -mentum.[2][3][1] The TLL and Köbler derive it from excrēscō too.[9][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The earliest example the OLD gives is from Lucan (39–65 AD), of nails: siccae pallida rodit excrementa manus, “gnaws the pale growths of a dry hand”.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

Apuleius calls wool the outgrowth of a sluggish body, and Terentianus Maurus applies it to syllables that are left over and not counted in the metre.[2] Sidonius Apollinaris uses it of the projection of the ribs, and Martianus Capella of the higher numbers that follow ten thousand.[3][8]

In Medieval Latin it meant an increase or surplus,[10][1] the rising of the tide,[6] and a projecting or superfluous part.[6]

Timeline

  • 39–65 AD – Lucan uses it of fingernails.[2][4]
  • c. 125–175 AD – Apuleius calls wool an outgrowth of the body.[2][4]
  • c. 431–486 AD – Sidonius Apollinaris uses it of the projection of the ribs.[3][4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. An outgrowth, such as nails or wool.[2][5]
  2. A projection, prominence.[3][8]
  3. (transferred) Something in excess, such as syllables not counted in the metre or the higher numbers of a series.[2][3]
  4. (Medieval Latin) An increase, surplus; the rise of the tide.[10][6]

Usage notes

The OLD, Georges and Gaffiot give the two words separate entries.[2][8][5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ a b c d Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  8. ^ a b c d Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  9. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  10. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
Cite this entry

“Excrementum.” Etymologically, 7 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/la/excrementum. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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