English → Latin
“humble” in Latin
dēmittōto send or bring down, cause to hang or fall down; drop, flow, shed, sag, let fall; to sink, lower, put down; to cast domodestusmoderate, calm, restrained, mild; modest, reserved, discreetverēcundusfeeling shame, shamefaced, bashful, shy, modest; worthy of reverence, venerablehumilislow, lowly, small, slight; shallow; base, mean, humble, obscure, poor, needy, insignificant, low; short, not tall (of phsupplexkneeling; begging; suppliantōrātiōspeech, discourse, language; the power of speech; manner or style of speaking
The English word humble itself goes back to Latin humus, through humilis.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
humble adj.
submissus: demissus (lowly, meek, modest; opposed to elatus; therefore by no means as a censure; Vid: Cic., Off., 1, 26, 190; De Or., 2, 43, 183: thus Cic. couples probi, demissi together; demissus, however, is indifferent): modestus: verecundus (modest, Vid :): humilis (low, mean-spirited): supplex (entreating humbly); humilis et supplex (e.g., oratio). In an humble manner, demisse; submisse; suppliciter: to be humble, animo esse submisso; nihil sibi sumere: to become humble, animum contrahere; se submittere: to behave in an humble manner, submisse se gerere. [Vid: HUMBLY]. To set this forth in the humblest possible manner, haec quam potest demississime atque subjectissime exponere (Caes.): to beseech anybody in no very humble terms, alicui non nimis summisse supplicare (Cic.).
humble v.
To humble anybody, alicujus spiritus reprimere (the pride of anybody): frangere aliquem or alicujus audaciam: comprimere alicujus audaciam (anybody’s boldness): frangere aliquem et comprimere. To humble one’s self, se demittere; se or animum submittere; submisse se gerere; se abjicere (beneath one’s dignity, too low): to humble one’s self before anybody, se submittere alicui, supplicare alicui, supplicem esse alicui (with words): to humble one’s self to anything, prolabi ad aliquid; se projicere aliquid (e.g., in muliebres fletus); descendere ad aliquid.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for humble?
- The usual Latin words for “humble” are dēmittō, modestus, verēcundus; also humilis, supplex, ōrātiō. 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.