genius Latin · revision 672

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈɡɛ.ni.ʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈd͡ʒɛː.ni.us]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''genius''' ''m'' (genitive geniī or genī); second declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is derived from the root of [[gigno|alt=gignere]] “to beget”, [[ine-pro|*ǵenh₁-|t=to beget]], perhaps through the Old Latin present [[m|la|genō]], with the suffix [[m|la|-ius]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline) Its original sense was thus the generative power, or inborn nature.^(Etymonline)^(Georges 1913) The OLD compares Germanic words for “kin”, such as [[goh|chunni]] and [[ang|cynn]].^(OLD 2012) It is not related to [[ar|جِنِّيّ|tr=jinnī|t=jinn]].^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is found from Plautus onwards,^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010) who mentions a man sacrificing to his [[m|en|genius]] and uses the oath ''per tuum te genium obsecro'' “I beseech you by your genius”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The OLD defines it as the male spirit of a family (''gens''), living in its head and then in the divine part of each person, and Horace calls it the companion who rules one's birth star.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Since one celebrated one's genius on birthdays and festivals, it came to stand for one's appetites, as in ''genium curare'' or ''indulgere genio'' “to indulge oneself”, and a parasite might call his patron ''genius meus''.^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913) Gods, places, cities and corporations had their genius, as in ''genius loci'', and the genius of the emperor was an object of worship.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ From innate nature it passed to talent and inspiration in writing.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) In medieval Latin it meant splendour and character.^(Niermeyer 1976) English borrowed it in the late 14th century for a guardian spirit, and the senses “characteristic disposition” and “person of great talent” developed later; through French ''génie'' it also gave [[en|genie]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus mentions sacrifice to one's genius.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of indulging oneself.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 65–8 BC – Horace calls it the god of human nature who rules one's birth star.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 59 BC–17 AD – Livy mentions sacrifices to the genius of Rome.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid writes of the genius of the emperor in the city's shrines.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * late 14th century – English borrows it as [[en|genius]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The guardian spirit of a man or family, one's [[m|en|genius]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # One's natural appetites, inclination, ''genium curare'': to indulge oneself.^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913)

+ # (of a parasite) One's patron.^(OLD 2012)

+ # The guardian spirit of a god, emperor, place or corporation.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # Talent, inspiration.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' Splendour; character.^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[geniālis]]

+ * [[geniatus]]

+ * [[ingenium]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[gignō]]

+ * [[genus]]

+ * [[en|genius]]

+ * [[en|genie]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}