LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · neutersecond declension

callum

callum n (genitive callī)
Classical[ˈkal.lũː]Ecclesiastical[ˈkal.lum]

Meaning

  1. neuterA hard or thick substance.
  2. neuterThe hardened, thick skin upon animal bodies, hide.
  3. neuterThe hard skin or flesh of plants.
  4. neuterThe hard covering of soil.
  5. neuterA callus, induration.
  6. figurativelyneuterHardness, callousness, insensibility, stupidity.

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativecallumcalla
genitivecallīcallōrum
dativecallōcallīs
accusativecallumcalla
ablativecallōcallīs
vocativecallumcalla

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

callum obducere dolori (Tusc. 2. 15. 36)
to render insensible to pain.

callum, i, n. (callus, i, m., Cels. 5, 18, 36; 5, 26, 31 al.; Domit. Mars. ap. Charis. p. 55; plur. calli, Scrib. Comp. 37; 205; Suet. Aug. 80) [cf. Gr. καλάμη; Lat. culmus, culmen].
I. The hardened, thick skin upon animal bodies: fere res omnes aut corio sunt Aut etiam conchis aut callo aut cortice tectae, Lucr. 4, 935: calceamentum solorum callum, Cic. Tusc. 5, 32, 90: pedum, Plin. 22, 25, 60, § 127; cf. id. 9, 35, 54, § 108.—Plur., Suet. Aug. 80.—Hence,
B. Meton.
1. The hard flesh of certain animals: aprugnum, Plaut. Poen. 3, 2, 2; id. Pers. 2, 5, 4; for which absol. callum, id. Capt. 4, 3, 4; id. Ps. 1, 2, 33: manus elephanti, Plin. 8, 10, 10, § 31: locustarum, id. 9, 30, 50, § 95.—
2. The hard skin or the hard flesh of plants: uvarum, Plin. 14, 1, 3, § 14: pirorum ac malorum, id. 15, 28, 34, § 116: fungorum, id. 22, 23, 47, § 96: foliorum, id. 16, 22, 34, § 82; Pall. Mart. 10, 28 al.—
3. The hard covering of the soil: terrae, Plin. 17, 5, 3, § 33; 19, 2, 11, § 33; 31, 4, 30, § 53; also, of the hardness of salt: salis, id. 16, 12, 23, § 56.—
II. Trop., hardness, callousness, insensibility, stupidity (rare; most freq. in Cic.): ipse labor quasi callum quoddam obducit dolori, renders callous to pain, Cic. Tusc. 2, 15, 36; 3, 22, 53; id. Fam. 9, 2, 3: ducere, Sen. Cons. ad Marc. 8, 2: inducere, Quint. 12, 6, 6.

Origins

Uncertain, but possibly derived from Proto-Italic *kalnom, from Proto-Indo-European *kal- (“hard”) (perhaps via suffixed zero-grade *kl̥H-no-(m)); see also Old Church Slavonic калити (kaliti, “to harden, cool”), Proto-Celtic *kaletos (“hard”), Sanskrit कलिका (kalikā, “bud”).

Descendants
  • Catalancall
  • Catalancal·lus
  • Frenchcal
  • Italiancallo
  • Portuguesecalo
  • Spanishcallo
  • Galiciancalo
  • Siciliancaḍḍu
  • Cimbriankaalofrom Venetan calo

Quick answers

What does callum mean in Latin?
callum, a noun, means “A hard or thick substance.; The hardened, thick skin upon animal bodies, hide.; The hard skin or flesh of plants.”.
What is the genitive of callum?
The genitive singular is callī. callum is neuter, second declension.
How do you pronounce callum?
In classical Latin, [ˈkal.lũː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈkal.lum].