English → Latin
“ground” in Latin
terradry land (as opposed to watery parts of the Earth); ground, floor (the surface of the land); earth, soil, dirt, clay, clsōlusalone, sole, only, by oneself with no others around; solitary, uninhabitedhumusground, floor; earth, soillocusplace (referring to a specific location); a passage of literature; opportunity; cause; occasion; groundssedimentumA settling, sinking down, subsidencecrassāmentumthe thicknessfaexsediment, dregs; salt of tartar; brine used for picklingcausacause, reason; case, claim, contention; cause, judicial process, lawsuitratiōreason, reasoning, explanation, ground, motive, rationality, rationale, purpose; calculation, account, accounting, reckoprī̆ncepsfirst, foremost; chief, distinguished
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
ground s.
Earth, terra, (terrae) solum (the surface of the earth, as the ground or foundation of what is or grows on it): humus “the lowest part of the visible world; also, and more especially, of any part dug up from the ground, χθών). On the ground, humi: under ground, subterraneus: a walk under ground, crypta (κρύπτη): to put seed in the ground, semen ingerere solo: under ground, sub terra (e.g., sub terra vivi demissi in locum saxo conseptum, Liv., 22, 57): to fall to the ground, in terram cadere; in terram decidere: to fall down from anything to the ground, humi procumbere (to fall on the ground): to fall to the ground (figuratively, of an argument) [Vid: To FALL]: to lie or be stretched on the ground, humi jacere, stratum esse: to fell anybody to the ground, sternere: humi prosternere: to run aground (of a ship), sidere (Liv., 26, 45): to level with the ground, solo aequare or adaequare.
The first coat of paint of a picture, etc., *color qui est quasi fundamentum picturae, etc.
A space occupied by an army, locus (plur., loca): loci or locorum natura (the nature of the ground): loci situs (the peculiar situation): the ground was very much against him, or he fought on very unfavorable ground, alienissimo sibi loco conflixit: to reconnoitre the ground, loci naturam observare. For “to lose or gain ground,” Vid: below.
Ground-floor, [Vid: FLOOR].
Depth, bottom, Vid:
Grounds = sediment, sedimentum: crassamentum. faex (e.g., cadum potare faece tenus, Hor., Od., 3, 15, 16): subsidentia quaedam (a certain sediment).
Fundamental cause, reason, motive, causa: ratio (reasonable ground): causa et semen (e.g., belli): sometimes principium: initium (beginning): fons (source). To have good grounds for doing anything, non sine gravi causa facio aliquid; graves causae me impellunt, ut faciam aliquid: to say nothing without sufficient grounds, nihil temere dico. I don’t clearly see the grounds of it (i. e., of what it is the consequence), rationem quam habeat, non satis perspicio: to remove the grounds of anything, alicujus rei causam tollere: to excuse anybody on the ground of his youth, veniam dare adolescentiae: a plan which is assuredly not adopted without some good grounds, consilium quod non est profecto de nihilo conceptum (Liv.): on good grounds, justis de causis: not without good grounds, non sine causa, cum causa: there is some ground for anything, subest aliquid alicui rei (Quint.): he seems to have some ground for what he alleges, haud vana afferre videtur.
To gain ground: (α) to extend itself, etc., percrebrescere: increbrescere (of a report): ingravescere (to become more serious; e.g. malum): longius or latius serpere (to increase gradually, res malum, etc.). (β) To make progress, proficere (with parum, aliquid, nihil, etc.); progressus (in the Golden Age not profectum) facere in re. No ground can be gained by these means, his rebus nihil profici potest: I think that some ground has been gained, profectum aliquid puto (toward any object, ad aliquid). (γ) To make an enemy recede, commovere (hostem, Liv.), or commovere loco (e.g., agmen): inclinare aciem: hostes paullum summovere.
To lose ground, deminui (to be lessened): inclinari (to be turned downward; hence, figuratively, to have taken a turn for the worse, res, fortuna): languescere (to grow faint, IMPROP.): refrigerari (to be cooled, IMPROP., levissimus sermo): cedere (to yield; e.g., hosti): deteriore statu or conditione esse (to be in a worse condition): *minus jam valere (to have now less power, influence, etc.). Not to lose ground (of troops), ordines conservare (i. e., to keep the ranks), locum tenere: our army or men lost ground, exercitus nostri cesserunt.
ground v.
To found as on a cause (e.g., to be grounded upon), aliquid fundamentum est alicujus rei: aliqua re teneri or contineri: anything is grounded upon anything, fundamentum alicujus rei positum est in aliqua re.
To settle in rudiments of knowledge; e.g., to be well grounded in Latin, bene (optime) Latine scire; in Latinis litteris multum versatum esse (the latter, with reference to litterature); in anything, aliquid penitus percepisse; aliquid perspexisse planeque cognovisse (to have a thorough knowledge of anything): initia alicujus disciplinae diligenter or diligentissime percepisse (after Quint., 10, 1, 13); or illa, per quae ad aliquid pervenitur, diligentissime percepisse (Quint.).
ground
INTRANS = run aground, sidere (e.g. aliquid, in quo mea cymba non sidat, Quint., 12, 37).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for ground?
- The usual Latin words for “ground” are terra, sōlus, humus; also locus, sedimentum, crassāmentum. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.