LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective

dīmidius

dīmidius (feminine dīmidia, neuter dīmidium)
Classical[diːˈmɪ.di.ʊs]Ecclesiastical[diˈmiː.di.us]
Mille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. adjectivehalf
  2. adjectivehalved

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativedīmidiusdīmidiadīmidium
genitivedīmidiīdīmidiaedīmidiī
dativedīmidiōdīmidiaedīmidiō
accusativedīmidiumdīmidiamdīmidium
ablativedīmidiōdīmidiādīmidiō
vocativedīmidiedīmidiadīmidium
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativedīmidiīdīmidiaedīmidia
genitivedīmidiōrumdīmidiārumdīmidiōrum
dativedīmidiīsdīmidiīsdīmidiīs
accusativedīmidiōsdīmidiāsdīmidia
ablativedīmidiīsdīmidiīsdīmidiīs
vocativedīmidiīdīmidiaedīmidia

dī-mĭdĭus, a, um, adj. medius,
I. half (for the diff. between it and dimidiatus, v. dimidio).
I. As an adj., until the Aug. per. only in connection with pars, e. g.: dimidiam partem nationum subegit, Plaut. Curc. 3, 77; id. Aul. 4, 10, 37; id. Rud. 4, 4, 79; Lucr. 1, 618 sq.; 5, 720; Cic. N. D. 2, 40, 103; id. Rosc. Com. 11, 32; id. Fam. 13, 29, 4; Caes. B. G. 6, 31, 5; id. B. C. 1, 27; 3, 101 (twice); Sall. J. 64, 5; Suet. Caes. 42; Front. Strat. 2, 3, 21; Ov. F. 5, 122; id. Tr. 1, 2, 44 et saep.—
II. Since the Aug. per., esp. in poets, also with other substantives, instead of dimidiatus (v. dimidio), divided into two equal parts, halved: mullus (opp. lupus totus), Mart. 2, 37, 4: crus, Juv. 13, 95: vultus, id. 15, 57: Memnone, id. 15, 5: forma circuli, Plin. 2, 59, 60, § 150: clepsydrae, id. Ep. 6, 2, 5: labro basia dare, i. e. slightly, Mart. 2, 10 and 22; so of busts: Priapus, Mart. 11, 18; cf. Cicero's pun on the half-length likeness of his brother Quintus: frater meus dimidius major est quam totus, in Macr. S. 2, 3 (the word dimidius, for dimidiatus, belongs prob. to Macr. himself).—
III. Trop., so of persons of mixed descent: dimidius patrum, dimidius plebis, half patrician and half plebeian, Liv. 4, 2, 6. —Hence, subst.
A. dīmidium, ii, n., the half (very freq. in all periods and kinds of writing): horae, Lucil. ap. Gell. 3, 14, 11; so with gen., Plaut. Am. 5, 1, 73; id. Bacch. 5, 2, 67; 71 et saep.; absol., Plaut. Bacch. 2, 3, 87; id. Ps. 4, 7, 68; 5, 2, 29; id. Pers. 1, 2, 17 et saep.; abl. dimidio, with comparatives: dimidio minus opinor, less by half, Plaut. As. 2, 4, 35; Cic. Att. 9, 9, 2; id. Fl. 20, 46; Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 33; Caes. B. G. 5, 13, 2; Hor. S. 2, 3, 318 et saep.—
2. Like a comp. with quam: vix dimidium militum quam quod acceperat successori tradidit, Liv. 35, 1, 2; 45, 18, 7.—Prov.: dimidium facti, qui coepit, habet, well begun is half done, Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 40; cf. Aus. Ep. 81.—
B. Rarely dī-midia, ae, f. (sc. pars), the half: verbenaca decocta in aqua ad dimidias, Plin. 26, 12, 73, § 120.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*dwóh₁
  2. Latindīmidius

Proto-Indo-European *trísinflu. Proto-Indo-European *d(w)is- Proto-Italic *dis- Latin dis- Proto-Indo-European *me Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-? Proto-Indo-European *-dʰe Proto-Indo-European *médʰi Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *médʰyos Proto-Italic *meðios Latin medius Latin dīmidius From dis- (“in two”) + medius (“middle”).

Descendants
  • Catalanendemigfrom Vulgar Latin *dimedium
  • Frenchdemifrom Vulgar Latin *dimedium
  • Englishdemi-from Vulgar Latin *dimedium
  • Englishdemyfrom Vulgar Latin *dimedium
  • Old Occitandemieyfrom Vulgar Latin *dimedium
  • Welshdimeifrom Vulgar Latin *dimedium

In English words that came into English from dīmidius

  • demidīmidius
  • dimidiatedīmidiātus
  • dimidiationdīmidiātiō

Quick answers

What does dīmidius mean in Latin?
dīmidius, a adjective, means “half; halved”.
How do you pronounce dīmidius?
In classical Latin, [diːˈmɪ.di.ʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [diˈmiː.di.us].
Where does dīmidius come from?
Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ → Latin dīmidius.
Which English words come from dīmidius?
English words that go back to Latin dīmidius include demi, dimidiate and dimidiation.