flumen

Forms

flūmen n (genitive flūminis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin fluō + -men, “that which flows”.^[2][1] De Vaan derives the verb from Proto-Italic *flow-e/o-, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleuH- (“to flow over”), comparing Ancient Greek φλύω (phlúō, “to boil over”) and Lithuanian bliáuti (“to bleat, sob”).^[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Ennius on:^[4] per amoenam urbem lēnī fluit agmine flūmen, “through the pleasant city the river flows with gentle course”.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Flūmen is a river or stream, and in poetry flowing water, a flood.^[2][5][1] It is used of any flow of liquid or air, such as a stream of blood, often with exaggeration, and figuratively of a copious flow of eloquence or talent and an onrush of attackers.^[2][1]

Timeline

• 204–169 BC – First found in Ennius.^[2][4]
• 96–55 BC – Lucretius: sanguinis exspīrāns calidum dē pectore flūmen, “breathing out a warm stream of blood from the breast”.^[2][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of a river that suddenly rose.^[2][4]

Meanings

Noun

1. A river, stream.^[2][5][1]
2. (poetic) Flowing water, a flood.^[5][1]
3. A flow (of blood, other liquid or air).^[2]
4. (figurative) A copious flow (of words or talent);^[2][1] an onrush (of attackers).^[2]

Word family

• flumicellum
• flūminālis
• flūmineus

Related words

• fluō
• fluvius
• amnis

Usage notes

Döderlein says that fluvius and flūmen denote an ordinary stream, as opposed to a pond or lake, while amnis is a great and mighty river.^[6]

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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper