English → Latin
“humor” in Latin
ingeniuminnate or natural quality, natural character; nature; disposition, temper, inclination; intelligence, natural capacitynātūrathe nature, quality, substance or essence of a thing; character, temperament, inclination, disposition; nature, the natulibīdōdesire, fancy, inclination, longing, pleasure, caprice, passion, wantonness; lust, sensualitystudiumstudy; eagerness, zeal; desire, fancyhilaritāscheerfulness, merriment, good humorlepōspleasantness, charm, attractiveness, agreeableness; politeness, grace; pleasantry, wit, humorfēstīvitāsfestivity, merriment, joy, mirth; kind demeanour, kindness; festivalfacētiajest, wit, humouralacritāscheerfulness, liveliness, gaiety, animation; alacrity, eagerness, persistence, zeal, fervour, ardour; joy, rejoicing, ex
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
humor s.
Disposition, temper, ingenium: natura (natural disposition): animi affectio (state of mind): libido (humor; i. e., ungoverned desires and wishes with which one acts toward anybody, desires anything, etc.): studia, -orum (general term, the inclinations of anybody): hilaritas (cheerfulness, good humor, as a quality; both of a person and of a writing; Vid: Cic., Acad., 1, 2, 8, Goerenz, p. 15): lepos, festivitas (good humor; the former, so far as it shows itself general in one’s whole disposition; the latter, as it appears in striking wit, both as the property of a person, and of a writing). Good-humor, hilaritas; alacritas: ill-humor, animus irritatus (vexed state of mind): in different humors, in variis voluptatibus: to be in a good humor, bene affectum esse; hilarem esse: in a bad humor, male affectum esse; morosum esse: to be in such a humor, that, etc., ita animo affectum esse, ut, etc.: waggish humor, cavillatio (Cic., De Or., 2, 54, 218; opposed to dicacitas, biting, hurting wit): cheerful humor in jesting, lepos in jocando. Laelius possessed much good-humor, in Laelio multa hilaritas erat: according to the humor he happens to be in, utcumque praesens movet affectio (Curt., 7, 1, 24): to comply with or yield to the humors of another person [Vid: To HUMOR].
Less poignant species of wit, festivitas: lepos: facetiae [SYN. in WIT].
(Cutaneous) (Cutaneous) Eruption, Vid.
humor v.
alicujus studiis obsequi: alicui or alicujus voluntati morem gerere: alicui morigerari (general terms; to comply with anybody’s wishes or humors): libidini non adversari (in a single case; Vid: Ter., Hec., 2, 2, 3): indulgere alicui (to indulge, treat indulgently): to humor anybody in everything, alicui in omnibus rebus obsequi (Cic.); alicui se dare; ad alicujus arbitrium (or ad alicujus voluntatem) se fingere, se accommodare; or (still stronger) totum se fingere et accommodare ad alicujus arbitrium et nutum; se totum ad alicujus nutum et voluntatem convertere: anybody was humored, gestus est alicui mos.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for humor?
- The usual Latin words for “humor” are ingenium, nātūra, libīdō; also studium, hilaritās, lepōs. 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.