LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
English → Latin

“half” in Latin

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

half s.
dimidium: dimidia pars: semissis (six parts of a whole divided into twelve equal parts; e.g., of a foot, an acre, etc.). An heir that comes in for half the property, heres ex dimidia parte: by one half [Vid. HALF, adj.] . ☞ “Half” is also expressed in Latin by dimidiatus, a, um; e.g., to read half a book = half through, dimidiatum librum legere (vid Gell., 3, 14): the (or one) half of a quart measure, hemina: this is the one half, hoc est semis :”Half” is besides, rendered in Latin by semi, or the Greek hemi, joined to substantives and adjectives, if it conveys the sense of “not entirely or wholly existing,” or “not quite what it ought to be;” in which latter case, “sub” (= to some degree) is used in certain cases instead of “semi;” e.g., to limit the time of defence to half an hour, spatium defensionis in semihorae curriculum cogere (Cic., pr. Rab. Perd., 2, 6): to accomplish anything within the space of half an hour, dimidio horae conficere aliquid (Lucilius, Gell. 3, 14): half a month, semestrium: half a year, spatium semestre; menses sex (six months): lasting half a year, semestris: half a quart, hemina: half way, medio itinere: half a finger’s breadth, digtum dimidiatum (accusative): of half a finger’s breadth, semidigitalis: half a foot, semipes: half a foot broad, long, etc., semipedalis: half an ell long, semicubitalis: only half the size, dimidio minus: half as dear again, dimidio carius: to be half as dear again, dimidio pluris constare: boiled down to a half, ad dimidias decoctus: half a pound, semilibra; weighing, etc., or half a pound’s weiqht, semilibram pondo (sc. valens, after Liv., 3, 29). Vid. HALF, adjective.
half adj.
dimidius: dimidiatus (divided into two; halved). Half as big only, dimidio minus: half as dear again, dimidio carius: to be, etc., dimidio pluris constare: half covered, semitectus: half dressed, semiamictus: half equipped or armed, semiermis: half a German, semi-Germanus: half dressed or done (of meat), semicoctus: half dead, semimortuus; seminex or seminecis (= half slain in battle); semianimus or semianimis (with one’s breath half gone): semivivus (but half alive): half dead with hunger, enectus fame: half done, semifactus semiperfectus; semiperactus (half accomplished, Paulin. Noel. Carm., 20, 299, or 305): half open, semiapertus: half shut, semiclausus: half shorn or shaved, semirasus: half washed, semilotus: half eaten, semesus: half cooked, semicoctus: half roasted, semiassus: in a half whisper, voce tenui et admodum deminuta (☞ Apul., Met., 3, p. 135, ed. Elm.): in half mourning, semiatratus; semipullatus: half seas over, dilutior (e.g., redis, Terentianus): half Greek, semi-Graecus; semi-Graece (adv.): half-yearly, semestris (i. e., lasting half a year); *quot semestribus factus (similar to “quot annis, quot calendis,” etc.): half alive, semivivus: half empty, seminanis: half naked, seminudus; semiamictus (only half clad): half ripe, semimaturus: half raw, semicrudus; subcrudus: half asleep, semisomnus: in a half sleep, semisomno sopore: half drunk, semigravis: half burnt, semiustus: semiustulatus (singed); semicrematus (half consumed by flames): half mad, vesanus: half awake, semisomnus: half withered, semivietus: half wild or savage, semifer (of animals and men): half learned, semidoctus: half torn, semilaceratus (after semilacer, which is poetical; Vid: Ov., Met., 7, 344): half angry, semi-iratus. In half relief, *ex parte eminens: caelatus (in bass-relief). To sail with a half wind, pedem facere (Verg.), or pedes proferre (Plin.); ventum obliquum captare (Eumen., Paneg. Const., 14); obliquare sinus velorum in ventum (Verg.).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for half?
The usual Latin words for “half” are dīmidius, sēmis, hēmīna; also Lūcīlius, sēmestrĭum, dīmidiō. 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.