LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · neutersecond declension

collum

collum n (genitive collī)
Classical[ˈkɔl.lũː]Ecclesiastical[ˈkɔl.lum]
Mille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. neuterThe neck or throat.
  2. neuterA symbol of servitude.
  3. neuterA symbol of life.
  4. metonymicallyneuterThe neck of a flask or bottle; the neck of the poppy; the middle part of Mount Parnassus.

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

pars corporis inter caput et pectus.
collum -ī n — in Mille Verba, Corpus Hūmānum

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Collis · Clivus · Tumulus · Grumus

Collis; Clivus; Tumulus; Grumus; Collis and clivus denote a greater hill or little mountain; collis (from celsus) like κολωνός, as an eminence, in opp. to the plain beneath, and therefore somewhat steep; clivus, like κλιτύς, as a sloping plain, in opp. to an horizontal plain, and therefore only gradually ascending; whereas tumulus and grumus mean only a hillock, or great mound; tumulus, like ὄχθος, means either a natural or artificial elevation; grumus, only an artificial elevation, like χῶμα. Colum. Arbor. a. f. Collem autem et clivum, modum jugeri continentem repastinabis operis sexaginta. Liv. xxi. 32. Erigentibus in primos agmen clivos, apparuerunt imminentes tumulos insidentes montani. Hirt. B. Hisp. 24. Ex grumo excelsum tumulum capiebat. (ii. 121.)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativecollumcolla
genitivecollīcollōrum
dativecollōcollīs
accusativecollumcolla
collōs
ablativecollōcollīs
vocativecollum
colle		colla

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

oppidum colli impositum est
the town stands on rising ground.
est a septentrionibus collis
a hill lies to the north.
collis leniter ab infimo acclivis (opp. leniter a summo declivis)
a gentle ascent.

collum, i, n. (ante-class. access. form collus, i, m., Naev., Cato, Lucil., Att., Caecil., Varr. ap. Non. p. 200, 14 sq.; Plaut. Capt. 2, 2, 107; 4, 3, 2; and, acc. to Non. l. l., also id. Am. 1, 1, 289:
I. nec collos mihi Calvus persuaserit, Quint. 1, 6, 42; Front. Ep. ad M. Caes. 2, 16) [cf. Germ. Hals].
I. Prop., the neck, of men and animals: accipite si vultis hoc onus in vostros collos, Cato, l.l.: anseris, Lucil. l.l.: pavonis, Varr. l. l.: columbarum, Lucr. 2, 802; cf. Cic. Ac. 2, 7, 19; id. N. D. 2, 47, 122 al.: in collum invasit, fell upon the neck, id. Phil. 2, 31, 77: amplexu petebat, Cael. ap. Quint. 4, 2, 124: pendentia bracchia collo, Tib. 3, 6, 45; Verg. A. 1, 715: collo dare bracchia circum, id. ib. 6, 700: implicuit materno bracchia collo, Ov. M. 1, 762: colloque infusa mariti, id. ib. 11, 386; cf. id. ib. 14, 585: cingere colla lacertis, id. A. A. 2, 457: complecti lacertis, id. M. 10, 407: captare lacertis, id. H. 8, 93: adducere lacertis, id. M. 6, 625 et saep.: avaritiae poenam collo et cervicibus suis sustinere, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 42, § 108: conjecta vincula collo, Ov. Tr. 4, 1, 83: collum in laqueum inserere, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 17, § 37; cf. Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 37: monstri angere, Stat. Th. 4, 827: aptare vincula collo, Ov. M. 10, 381: colla assuescere servitio, Verg. G. 3, 167: tonsori committere, Cic. Tusc. 5, 20, 58.—Hence,
2. In partic.
a. As a symbol of servitude: dare colla triumpho, Prop. 2 (3), 10, 15. eripe turpi Colla jugo, Hor. S. 2, 7, 92.—
b. (As in Engl., it costs him his neck, etc.) A symbol of life: actum'st de collo meo, Plaut. Trin. 2, 4, 194; cf.: posuit collum in Pulvere Teucro, Hor. C. 4, 6, 11.—
c. Collum torquere, obtorquere, obstringere alicui, legal t. t., to seize by the neck and drag before a tribunal or to prison: priusquam obtorto collo ad praetorem trahor, Plaut. Poen. 3, 5, 45 (cf.: obtortā gulā de convivio in vincla abripi jussit, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 10, § 24); Plaut. Curc. 5, 3, 15; Liv. 4, 53, 8.—
II. Meton., of the neck of a flask, bottle, Cato, R. R. 88, 1; Phaedr. 1, 26, 10; Plin. 17, 21, 35, § 161; 28, 11, 48, § 174.—Of the poppy, Verg. A. 9, 436.—Of the middle part of Mount Parnassus, Stat. Th. 9, 643.

Origins

Uncertain, but perhaps from Proto-Italic *kʷolsom, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷolso- (“neck”, literally “that on which the head turns”), from *kʷel- (“to turn”), whence also Limburgish kaklas, Latvian kakls. See also Old English heals (“neck, prow of a ship”) (whence English halse (“neck, throat”)), Middle Dutch and Old Norse hals (“neck”) (< Proto-Germanic *halsaz). Compare typologically Old Armenian պարանոց (paranocʻ, “neck”) (< պարանիմ (paranim, “to turn”)); Bulgarian врат (vrat), Russian во́рот (vórot), воротни́к (vorotník) (akin to верте́ть (vertétʹ)).

Elsewhere
  • Catalancoll
  • Frenchcoufrom Old French col
  • Frenchcolfrom Old French col
  • Italiancollo
  • Occitancòl
  • Occitancòu
  • Sardiniancoddu
  • Sardiniancodhu
  • Corsicancollu
  • Corsicancoddu
Ibero-Romance
  • Portuguesecolofrom Old Galician-Portuguese colo
  • Spanishcuellofrom Old Spanish cuello
  • Asturiancuellu
  • Falacolufrom Old Galician-Portuguese colo
  • Galiciancolofrom Old Galician-Portuguese colo
  • Ladinokueyofrom Old Spanish cuello
  • Ladinoקואילייוfrom Old Spanish cuello

Quick answers

What does collum mean in Latin?
collum, a noun, means “The neck or throat.; A symbol of servitude.; A symbol of life.”.
What is the genitive of collum?
The genitive singular is collī. collum is neuter, second declension.
How do you pronounce collum?
In classical Latin, [ˈkɔl.lũː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈkɔl.lum].