homo Latin · revision 4568

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=Twelve Tables, Livius Andronicus|origins=ine-pro *dʰǵʰ(e)m-ōn}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈhɔ.moː], [ˈhɔ.mɔ]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈɔː.mo]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''homō̆''' ''m'' (genitive hominis); third declension^(Wiktionary)

+ Old Latin had an accusative ''hemōnem'', reported by Paul the Deacon's epitome of Festus, and Ennius has ''homōnem''.^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|itc-pro|*χemō]], [[inh|ine-pro|*dʰǵʰ(e)mōn|t=earthling, human]], a derivative of the word for “earth”.^(de Vaan 2008) The oblique stem continues [[ine-pro|*dʰǵʰm̥-on-]].^(de Vaan 2008) De Vaan explains the vowel ⟨o⟩ as a change of older /e/ before the following /m/, unless [[m|la|hemōnem]] was formed back from [[nēmō]] “nobody”.^(de Vaan 2008) Cognate with [[osc|humuns|t=men]] and [[xum|homonus|t=to men]], and further with [[sga|duine|t=person]], [[cy|dyn|t=man]], [[lt|žmogùs|t=man]], [[got|𐌲𐌿𐌼𐌰|tr=guma|t=man]] and [[ang|guma|t=man]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012) Lewis & Short and the Thesaurus link it with [[humus]] “earth”.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(TLL)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It appears in the Twelve Tables and in Livius Andronicus.^(de Vaan 2008) Köbler dates the Twelve Tables c. 450 BC and Livius Andronicus 280/260–before 200 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Classical Latin it was a human being of either sex, set against the gods and against animals, as in Ennius' ''dīvum pater atque hominum rēx'' “father of gods and men”.^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913) It could stress human weakness or, in Plautus and Cicero, proper human feeling, and it was a person, the man in question (often scornfully), a familiar form of address (''mī homō'') and, in the plural, the men of an army or crew.^(OLD 2012) Unlike [[vir]], it did not mean a man as opposed to a woman.^(Döderlein 1874)^(Georges 1913)

+

+ In medieval Latin a man's ''homō'' was his dependant, serf, armed retainer or vassal, and ''hominēs'' were a lord's vassals and ministeriales.^(Niermeyer 1976) Wiktionary records the sense “husband” in medieval texts.^(Wiktionary) It survives as [[it|uomo]], [[fr|homme]], [[pt|homem]] and [[ro|om]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 450 BC – The Twelve Tables use it.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 280/260–before 200 BC – Livius Andronicus uses it.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 204–169 BC – Ennius calls Jupiter father of gods and men (''hominum'').^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 560–636 AD – Isidore derives it from ''humus'', man being made from earth.^(Isidore)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 1889 – English ''hominid'' is recorded, from New Latin ''Hominidae'', from ''homō''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|human]] being of either sex; in the plural, [[m|en|mankind]], the living.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # A human being as subject to human limits, or as having proper human feeling.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A person, individual; the man in question, often scornful.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A familiar form of address: ''mī homō'', my good man.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # With an adjective or genitive, a person of a certain kind, race or class.^(OLD 2012)

+ # In the plural, the men of an army, crew or other body.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' A dependant, [[m|en|serf]], retainer or [[m|en|vassal]].^(Niermeyer 1976)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' A husband.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[homicīda]]

+ * [[homullus]]

+ * [[homunculus]]

+ * [[sēmihomō]]

+ * [[homunciō]]

+ * [[hūmānitās]]

+ * [[hūmānus]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[humus]]

+ * [[nēmō]]

+ * [[en|human]]

+ * [[en|hominid]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Isidore wrote that man is called ''homō'' because he was made from earth (''humus''), as Genesis says.^(Isidore) Döderlein contrasts it with [[vir]] and [[mās]], which mean only the male.^(Döderlein 1874)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}