LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective

curvus

curvus (feminine curva, neuter curvum)
Classical[ˈkʊr.wʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈkur.vus]

Meaning

  1. adjectivebent, crooked, curved
  2. adjectiveaged (of a person)
  3. adjectivefigurativelywrong

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Curvus · Uncus · Pandus · Incurvus · Recurvus · Reduncus · Repandus · Aduncus

1. Curvus, or in prose mostly curvatus, denotes, as a general expression, all crookedness, from a slight degree of crookedness to a complete circle; uncus supposes a great degree of crookedness, approaching to a semi-circle, like the form of a hook; pandus, a slight crookedness, deviating but a little from a straight line, like that which slopes. 2. The curva form a continued crooked line; the incurva suppose a straight line ending in a curve, like ἐπικαμπής, the augur’s staff, for example, or the form of a man who stoops, etc. 3. Recurvus, reduncus, and repandus, denote that which is bent outwards; aduncus, that which is bent inwards. Plin. H. N. xi. 37. Cornua aliis adunca, aliis redunca. (v. 184.)

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativecurvuscurvacurvum
genitivecurvīcurvaecurvī
dativecurvōcurvaecurvō
accusativecurvumcurvamcurvum
ablativecurvōcurvācurvō
vocativecurvecurvacurvum
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativecurvīcurvaecurva
genitivecurvōrumcurvārumcurvōrum
dativecurvīscurvīscurvīs
accusativecurvōscurvāscurva
ablativecurvīscurvīscurvīs
vocativecurvīcurvaecurva

curvus (-vŏs), a, um, adj. root kar-, whence κορώνη; cf.: circus, varus,
I. crooked, curved, bent (opp. rectus; mostly poet.).
I. Prop.: aratrum, Lucr. 5, 933; 6, 1253; Verg. G. 1, 170: rastri, Cat. 64, 39: culter, Sen. Hippol. 53: falces, Verg. G. 1, 508: calamus, Cat. 63, 22: arbor, Ov. M. 5, 536: arcus, id. ib. 9, 114: dens, id. Am. 3, 10, 14: ungues, Varr. R. R. 2, 9, 4; Hor. Epod. 5, 93: lyra, id. C. 1, 10, 6; 3, 28, 11: crinale, Ov. M. 5, 53: (equi) alvus, Verg. A. 2, 51: carinae, id. G. 1, 360: cavernae, id. A. 3, 674: rates, Prop. 3 (4), 7, 29. litora, Cat. 64, 74; Verg. A. 3, 223; Hor. C. 4, 5, 14; id. Epod. 10, 21; Ov. M. 11, 352; cf. spatium, Sall. H. 4, 20 Dietsch: flumen, winding, crooked, Verg. G. 2, 12; Ov. M. 3, 342: aquae, id. F. 3, 520: aequor, rising on high, boisterous, id. M. 11, 505 al.—Of persons: ita te adgerundā curvom aquā faciam, ut, etc., Plaut. Cas. 1, 1, 36: arator, bent, stooping, Verg. E. 3, 42; and of one bent by age: anus, Prop. 2 (3), 18, 20. membra, Ov. M. 3, 276: senecta, id. A. A. 2, 670: caelator, Juv. 9, 145: vel gibberosi vel curvi, Dig. 21, 1, 3.—
II. Trop., crooked, wrong, perverse: mores, Pers. 3, 52.—Subst.: curvum, i, n., that which is crooked or wrong (opp. rectum): scilicet ut possem curvo dignoscere rectum, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 44: rectum discernis, ubi inter Curva subit, Pers. 4, 12: invenimus qui curva corrigeret, set every thing right, Plin. Ep. 5, 8 (21), 6: hic nobis curva corriget? Sen. Apoc. 8 fin.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*(s)ker-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*(s)kr̥wós
  3. Proto-Italic*korwos
  4. Latincurvus

From Proto-Italic *korwos, traditionally derived from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kr̥-wós, from *(s)ker- (“to bend, curve, turn”) + *-wós (whence Latin -vus), and compared with English shrink, as well as Latin carcer and cancer. De Vaan is skeptical of the existence of *(s)ker-, however, and adduces only Proto-Celtic *kurros (“pointed, hooked”) and Ancient Greek κῠρτός (kŭrtós, “bulging, curved”) as cognates.

Elsewhere
  • Catalancorb
  • Italiancurvo
  • Frenchcourbefrom Old French corbe
  • Romaniancurbfrom Old French corbe
  • Englishcurbfrom Old French corbe
  • Englishcorbefrom Old French corbe
  • Spanishcorvofrom Old Spanish corvo
  • Spanishcurvo
  • Tunisian Arabicكُوربfrom Old French corbe
  • Ladinokorvofrom Old Spanish corvo
Old Galician-Portuguese
  • Portuguesecurvo
  • Galiciancurvo

Quick answers

What does curvus mean in Latin?
curvus, a adjective, means “bent, crooked, curved; aged (of a person); wrong”.
How do you pronounce curvus?
In classical Latin, [ˈkʊr.wʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈkur.vus].
Where does curvus come from?
Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- → Proto-Indo-European *(s)kr̥wós → Proto-Italic *korwos → Latin curvus.