LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinefourth declension

contāctus

contāctus m (genitive contāctūs)
Classical[kɔnˈtaːk.tʊs]Ecclesiastical[konˈtak.tus]

Meaning

  1. a touching; contact, touch
  2. a contagion, infection

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativecontāctuscontāctūs
genitivecontāctūscontāctuum
dativecontāctuīcontāctibus
accusativecontāctumcontāctūs
ablativecontāctūcontāctibus
vocativecontāctuscontāctūs

contactus, a, um, Part., from 1. contingo.
contactus, ūs, m. 1. contingo (except once in Sall., perh. not ante-Aug.),
I. a touching, touch, contact.
I. In gen., Verg. A. 3, 227; Ov. M. 4, 52; 11, 111; Col. 11, 3, 50; Plin. 8, 15, 16, § 40; 33, 7, 40, § 122; in plur.: viriles, Ov. M. 7, 239.—
II. Esp., a touching of something unclean, a contagion, infection.
A. Prop., Liv. 4, 30, 8; 25, 26, 8; Tac. A. 4, 49; 6, 7.—
B. Trop. (several times in Tac.): neu patiamini licentiam scelerum, quasi tabem, ad integros contactu procedere, Sall. H. 1, 48, 9 Dietsch; Sen. Ira, 2, 21, 4: oculos a contactu dominationis inviolatos habebamus, Tac. Agr. 30; so, contactu valentiorum, id. H. 1, 11.—Absol.: discedite a contactu ac dividite turbidos, Tac. A. 1, 43: contactu bellum meditari, id. H. 2, 60.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ḱe?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*ḱóm
  3. Proto-Italic*kom
  4. Proto-Italic*kom-
  5. Latincontāctus

Proto-Indo-European *teh₂g- Proto-Italic *tangō Latin tangō Latin contingō Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Italic *-tus Latin -tus Latin contāctus From contingō + -tus (forming action nouns).

Descendants
  • Catalancontacte
  • Englishcontact
  • Frenchcontact
  • Italiancontatto
  • Portuguesecontato
  • Portuguesecontacto
  • Romaniancontact
  • Spanishcontacto
  • Russianконта́кт

Quick answers

What does contāctus mean in Latin?
contāctus, a noun, means “a touching; contact, touch; a contagion, infection”.
What is the genitive of contāctus?
The genitive singular is contāctūs. contāctus is masculine, fourth declension.
How do you pronounce contāctus?
In classical Latin, [kɔnˈtaːk.tʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [konˈtak.tus].
Where does contāctus come from?
Proto-Indo-European *ḱe? → Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm → Proto-Italic *kom → Proto-Italic *kom- → Latin contāctus.