Etymologically
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humus

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈhʊ.mʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈuː.mus][1]

Forms

humus f (genitive humī); second declension[1] The locative humī means “on the ground”.[2][3] Laevius and Gracchus used it as masculine or neuter.[4][5]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *χomo-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *dʰéǵʰōm (“earth”), an old root noun; de Vaan thinks the o-stem grew from the locative humī.[2][1] Cognate with Oscan huntrus (“those below”), Sanskrit क्षा (kṣā́ḥ, “earth”), Ancient Greek χθών (khthṓn, “earth”), Ancient Greek χαμαί (khamaí, “on the ground”) and Lithuanian žẽmė (“earth”).[2][4][6] homō “man”, the earthling, is from the same root.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus uses it.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[7]

Semantic evolution

In Classical Latin it was the earth or ground, humī “on the ground”, as in Cicero's lying on the ground, dry land, a stretch of ground, and soil.[4][8] Humō tectus was “covered with earth”.[8]

In medieval Latin it was also the grave, a land or region, and soil used in building.[9][3] English humus “vegetable mould” was borrowed in 1796.[10] Its derivatives humilis “low” and humō “to bury” gave English humble and exhume.[10]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.[2][7]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero speaks of lying on the ground (humī).[8][7]
  • late 13th century – English humble is recorded, from humilis.[10]
  • 1796 – English humus is recorded.[10]

Meanings

Noun

  1. The earth, ground, humī, on the ground.[4][5]
  2. Dry ground.[4]
  3. A stretch of ground, a land.[4][9]
  4. Soil.[4][1]
  5. (Medieval Latin) The grave.[9]

Word family

  • humilis
  • humō
  • homō
  • English humus
  • English humble
  • English exhume

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ a b Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  7. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  8. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  9. ^ a b c Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  10. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com