humilis Latin · revision 8162
16 Oct 2026, 15:33 by bogdan “New Latin entry (sources: de Vaan, OLD, Lewis & Short, TLL...)”
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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=Terence|origins=la humus}}
+
+ ==Pronunciation==
+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈhʊ.mɪ.lɪs]^(Wiktionary)
+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈuː.mi.lis]^(Wiktionary)
+
+ ==Forms==
+ '''humilis''' (neuter humile, comparative humilior, superlative humillimus, adverb humiliter); third-declension two-termination adjective^(Wiktionary)
+
+ ==Etymology==
+ It is from [[humus]] “ground” with the suffix [[-ilis]], literally “near the ground”.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline) Wiktionary notes its likeness to [[grc|χθαμαλός|tr=khthamalós|t=near the ground]], which it takes to be probably accidental.^(Wiktionary)
+
+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==
+ The OLD's earliest citation is from Terence, of humble people.^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Terence 190–159 BC.^(Köbler 2010)
+
+ ==Semantic evolution==
+ It meant low, not rising far from the ground, as in Caesar, and in Accius low-lying.^(OLD 2012) In Terence it meant humble, lowly in rank, in Cicero suited to humble people, submissive, abject, in Horace humbled, and in the ''Rhetorica ad Herennium'' mean, ignoble.^(OLD 2012)
+
+ In Christian Latin it meant humble in the spiritual sense.^(Niermeyer 1976)^(Stelten 1995) British Medieval Latin used it of people of low birth, of communities and of lowly things.^(DMLBS) It survives in Italian ''umile'' and Spanish ''humilde'', and through Old French ''humble'' it gave [[en|humble]] in the late 13th century.^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline)
+
+ ==Timeline==
+ * 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of humble people.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * 170–c. 90 BC – Accius uses it of the low-lying.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of the low.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * late 13th century – English ''humble'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)
+
+ ==Meanings==
+ ===Adjective===
+ # Low; low-lying.^(OLD 2012)
+ # [[m|en|Humble]], lowly.^(OLD 2012)
+ # Humbled; submissive, abject.^(OLD 2012)
+ # Mean, ignoble.^(OLD 2012)
+ # ''(Ecclesiastical Latin)'' Humble in spirit.^(Niermeyer 1976)
+
+ ==Word family==
+ * [[humilifico]]
+ * [[humiliō]]
+ * [[humilitās]]
+ * [[humiliātiō]]
+ * [[humiliter]]
+ * [[humilitō]]
+
+ ==Related words==
+ * [[humātiō]]
+ * [[humātor]]
+ * [[humī]]
+ * [[humō]]
+ * [[humus]]
+ * [[en|humble]]
+
+ ==References==
+ {{reflist}}