LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
preposition

cis

cis (+ accusative)
Classical[ˈkɪs]Ecclesiastical[ˈt͡ʃis]

Meaning

  1. with accusativeon or to this or the near side of; short of
  2. with accusativebefore

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

cis, prep. pronom. stem ki-, whence -ce; Gr. ἐ-κεῖ; cf.: hic, sic, etc. (far more rare than the kindr. citra),
I. on this side (opp. uls, ultra, and trans; cf. Varr. L. L. 5, § 83 Müll.; Liv. 5, 35, 4; 5, 33, 9 al.); with acc.
I. In space.
A. With verb of motion (rare): eo die cis Tiberim redeundum est, Varr. ap. Non. p. 92, 11.—
B. With verb of rest: Oppius mons, terticeps cis lucum Exquilinum, Sacr. Argae. ap. Varr. L. L. 5, § 50 Müll.: cis Tiberim redire, Liv. 8, 14, 6: Gallia cis Rhenum perdomita, Sall. H. 1, 8 Dietsch; cf.: quae cis Taurum sunt, Cic. Fam. 3, 8, 4: cis Euphratem, id. Att. 7, 2, 6: Germanos, qui cis Rhenum incolunt, Caes. B. G. 2, 3: hic primus cis Anienem cum rege Veientium conflixit. Liv. 4, 17, 18: cis Taurum montem usque ad Halyn amnem, id. 38, 38, 4: cis Padum ultraque, id. 5, 35, 4; Dig. 1, 2, 2, § 32.—
II. In time, within (only in Plaut. and post-class. writers; in the former always in connection with pauci): cis dies paucos, Plaut. Truc. 2, 3, 27: paucos cis mensīs, id. Merc. 1, 2, 42 Lorenz ad loc.: cis paucas tempestates, id. Most. 1, 1, 17: cis pauculos dies, Mamert. Grat. Act. Jul. 15: cis mensem decimum, Aur. Vict. Caes. 42, 1.—
III. Acc. to Priscian, also in other designations of limits = intra: cis naturae leges, ut ultra naturae leges, Prisc. p. 987 P.; but the only passage cited for this meaning is: veniam petens, quod ei cis Vettios, Plautios dissimulavisset, Tac. A. 11, 30 Ritter (Halm: ei Titios, Vettios; al. aliter), a very corrupt passage.

Origins

From Proto-Italic *ki, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱís (“this”). Cognate with ce-dō, hi-c, ec-ce, Ancient Greek ἐκεῖνος (ekeînos, “that”), Old Irish cē (“here”), Gothic 𐌷𐌹𐌼𐌼𐌰 (himma, “to this”). More at he, here. The accusative could be from either the adverbial derivation, a metaphor like in post and ante, or analogy with trāns.

Quick answers

What does cis mean in Latin?
cis, a preposition, means “on or to this or the near side of; short of; before”.
How do you pronounce cis?
In classical Latin, [ˈkɪs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈt͡ʃis].