LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · neutersecond declension

corium

corium n (genitive coriī or corī)
Classical[ˈkɔ.ri.ũː]Ecclesiastical[ˈkɔː.ri.um]

Meaning

  1. neuteranimal skin; hide, fell; leather
    Near-synonym: cutis
  2. derogatoryhumorousneuterhuman skin
    Ut adhuc fuit, mihi corium esse oportetc. 200 BCE, Plautus, Mostellaria 4.1.10–11
  3. neuterleather belt, whip
  4. neutercrust, coat, peel, shell
  5. neuterupper layer

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativecoriumcoria
genitivecoriī
corī		coriōrum
dativecoriōcoriīs
accusativecoriumcoria
ablativecoriōcoriīs
vocativecoriumcoria

cŏrĭum, ii, n. (ante-class. cŏrĭus, ii, m., Plaut. Poen. 1, 1, 11; id. Fragm. ap. Paul. ex Fest. p. 60, 7; Sillig reads caros in both places; Varr. ap. Non. p. 199, 16) [for scorium, kindr. with scortum; Sanscr. kar; old Germ. sceran; Gr. χόριον],
I. skin, hide, leather.
A. In gen.
1. Prop., of animals, Cato, R. R. 135, 3; Varr. L. L. 7, § 84 Müll.; Lucr. 4, 935; Cic. N. D. 2, 47, 121; Caes. B. G. 7, 22; Plin. 13, 9, 19, § 63 et saep.: corium formā publicā percussum, of the leather money of the Lacedæmonians, Sen. Ben. 5, 14, 4.—
2. Of human beings, only in comic or contemptuous sense: Erus meus elephanti corio circumtentust, non suo, Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 80; cf. B. 3. infra. —
B. In partic.
1. Of plants, rind, skin, bark, covering, shell, etc., Plin. 15, 28, 34, § 112; Pall. Jan. 15, 12; Dig. 32, 52.—
2. Of paper, Plin. 13, 12, 24, § 79.—
3. Prov.: alicui corium concidere, to curry his hide, i.e. to beat him, Plaut. Am. prol. 85; cf.: fiet tibi puniceum corium, postea atrum denuo, id. Rud. 4, 3, 61: Hercle detegetur corium de tergo meo, id. Ep. 1, 1, 65; Varr. ap. Non. l. l.: satis facere alicui de corio alicujus, Sen. Suas. 7, p. 53 Bip.: petere corium, to flog, Cic. Tull. 24, 54; Sen. Const. 14, 2: canis a corio numquam absterrebitur uncto, i. e. habits stick closely, like the Gr. χαλεπὸν χορίῳ κύνα γεῦσαι, it is bad to let the dog taste leather, Hor. S. 2, 5, 83; and: de alieno corio ludere, i. e. at another's expense, App. M. 7, p. 193; cf. Tert. Pall. 3; and: corio suo ludere, at one's own expense, Mart. 3, 16, 4.—
II. Meton.
A. A leather whip, thong, or strap, Plaut. Poen. 1, 1, 11; Auct. Her. 1, 13, 23.—
B. In building, the upper surface, a layer, stratum of earth, lime, etc.: pavimenti, Cato, R. R. 18, 7: harenae, Vitr. 7, 3, 8: summum laterum, id. 2, 3: parietum, id. 2, 8; Pall. 1, 17; cf. id. 1, 15: terrae, Plin. 31, 3, 28, § 47.—So of the building of the bees, Plin. 11, 7, 6, § 16.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*(s)ker-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*(s)kóros?
  3. Proto-Indo-European*(s)koryóm
  4. Proto-Italic*korjom
  5. Latincorium

Inherited from Proto-Italic *korjom, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kor-yó-m (“cut, torn off; peeled”), from the root *(s)ker- (“to cut off, separate”). According to De Vaan, probably derived from a noun *(s)kór-o-s (“that which is cut, torn off”, whence Proto-Germanic *skaraz and English share). Cognates Latin cortex, cārō, culter, Ancient Greek κείρω (keírō, “to cut off”), Dutch scheren, German scheren, Norwegian skjære, Swedish skära; and (from Indo-European) Albanian harr (“to cut, to mow”), Lithuanian ski̇̀rti (“separate”), Welsh ysgar (“separate”), Old Armenian քերեմ (kʻerem, “to scrape, scratch”). See also Latin secō, scindō, sciō, caedō, carpō, curtus, scalpō, sculpō, glubō, Ancient Greek γλύφω (glúphō), γράφω (gráphō), English grave.

Insular Romance
  • Sardiniancorju
  • Sardiniancorzu
  • Sardiniancolzu
  • Sardiniancogliu
  • Sardiniancroxu
Southern Gallo-Romance
  • Catalancuir
  • Catalancuire
  • Catalancuiro
  • Occitancuèr
  • Occitancuer
  • Auvergnatcueirfrom Occitan cuèr
  • Auvergnatcueurfrom Occitan cuèr
  • Gasconcueirfrom Occitan cuèr
  • Languedociencuòrfrom Occitan cuèr
Ibero-Romance
  • Portuguesecoirofrom Old Galician-Portuguese coiro
  • Portuguesecourofrom Old Galician-Portuguese coiro
  • Spanishcuerofrom Old Spanish cueiro
  • Belsetáncuérfrom Aragonese cuero
  • Ribagorçancuirofrom Aragonese cuero
  • Galiciancoirofrom Old Galician-Portuguese coiro
  • Asturiancueru
  • Asturiancueiru
  • Leonesecueiru
  • Mirandesecuiro
Italo-Romance
  • Italiancuoio
  • Italiancoio
  • Corsicancoghju
  • Corsicancoghiu
  • Ligurianchêuiofrom Italian cuoio
  • Neapolitancuorio
  • Neapolitancuoriu
  • Siciliancoriu
  • Siciliancòrie
Northern Gallo-Romance
  • Frenchcuirfrom Old French cuir
  • Franco-Provençalcuér
  • Bourguignoncueufrom Old French cuir
  • Normancuirfrom Old French cuir
  • Picardcuirfrom Old French cuir
  • Wallooncurfrom Old French cuir
Borrowings
  • Englishcorium
  • Albaniankue
Rhaeto-Romance
  • Romanshcuriom
Gallo-Italic
  • Ligurianchêurio
  • Ligurianchêuro
  • Piedmontesecheuir
  • Piedmontesecoèr
Elsewhere
  • Asturiancoríufrom Vulgar Latin *coritum

In English words that came into English from corium

  • excoriateexcoriātus
  • scourge*excoriāta
  • coriumcorium
  • curriercoriarius
  • coriaceouscoriāceus
  • subcoriaceoussubcoriāceus
  • epicoriumcorium

Quick answers

What does corium mean in Latin?
corium, a noun, means “animal skin; hide, fell; leather”.
What is the genitive of corium?
The genitive singular is coriī. corium is neuter, second declension.
How do you pronounce corium?
In classical Latin, [ˈkɔ.ri.ũː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈkɔː.ri.um].
Where does corium come from?
Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- → Proto-Indo-European *(s)kóros? → Proto-Indo-European *(s)koryóm → Proto-Italic *korjom → Latin corium.
Which English words come from corium?
English words that go back to Latin corium include corium, epicorium, excoriate, currier, coriaceous and scourge.