Etymologically
Log in

huiusmodi

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 20 October 2026 at 12:55. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [hʊjˈjʊs.mɔ.diː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [uˈjuz.mo.di][1]

Forms

huiusmodī (not comparable)[1] It is often written separately, huius modī, and a strengthened huiusce modī also occurs.[2] It is also spelled hujusmodī.[1][3]

Etymology

It is huius (“of this”), the genitive of hic (“this”), with modī, the genitive of modus (“measure, manner”), literally “of this manner”.[1][2][4] De Vaan derives ⟨modus⟩ from Proto-Italic *medo- (“measure, judgement”) and Proto-Indo-European *med-o- (“measure”).[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler gives Terence as its first author,[4] but the OLD cites it already from Plautus' Captivi: huius modi paucas poetae reperiunt comoedias, “poets find few comedies of this kind”.[2]

Semantic evolution

It means of this kind, such:[2][1] Cicero speaks of conversations of this kind and Caesar uses it in the Gallic War; the form huiusce modī is in Cicero, Sallust, Fronto and Gellius.[2] Wiktionary also gives the sense likewise, the like.[1] In Church Latin it is of this kind, of such kind,[3] and in medieval Latin it serves as an indeclinable pronoun, such, or simply this.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus, of comedies of this kind.[2][4]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero, of conversations of this kind.[2][4]
  • Medieval Latin – An indeclinable pronoun, such; this.[6]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. Of this kind, such.[2][1][3][6]
  2. Likewise, the like.[1]
  3. (Medieval Latin) This.[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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  6. ^ a b c d Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill