LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · neutersecond declension

fermentum

fermentum n (genitive fermentī)

Meaning

  1. neuterthe process of fermentation or leavening
  2. neuteryeast, ferment, leaven (a substance used for fermentation)
  3. figurativelyneuterpassion
    nam mea uxor propter illam tōta in fermentō iacētmy wife’s in an awful stew because of that girlc. 206 BCE – 188 BCE, Plautus, Mercator 959

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativefermentumfermenta
genitivefermentīfermentōrum
dativefermentōfermentīs
accusativefermentumfermenta
ablativefermentōfermentīs
vocativefermentumfermenta

fermentum, i, n. contr. for fervimentum, from fervo, ferveo,
I. that which causes fermentation, leaven, yeast, ferment.
I. Lit., Plin. 18, 11, 26, § 102; 18, 7, 12, § 68: panis sine fermento, unleavened bread, Cels. 2, 24; 30; Vulg. Levit. 2, 4.—
B. Transf.
1. That which loosens the soil, Plin. 17, 21, 35, § 159; cf. Col. 4, 1, 7.—
2. A drink made of fermented barley, malt liquor, beer, Verg. G. 3, 380.—
II. Trop., anger, passion (poet. and very rare): (uxor) nunc in fermento tota est, ita turget mihi, Plaut. Cas. 2, 5, 17; id. Merc. 5, 3, 3.—Poet. transf., of the cause of anger or vexation: accipe et istud Fermentum tibi habe, Juv. 3, 188.

Origins

From Proto-Italic *fermentom, equivalent to ferveō + -mentum, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerw- (“to be hot, boil”). Related to dēfrutum.

Borrowings
  • Catalanferment
  • Frenchferment
  • Romanianfermentfrom French ferment
  • Italianfermento
  • Occitanferment
  • Portuguesefermento
  • Spanishfermento
  • Russianферментfrom French ferment
  • Galicianfermento
Insular Romance
  • Sardinianfromentu
  • Sardinianfermentu
  • Sardinianfermentarzu
Ibero-Romance
  • Portugueseformento
  • Spanishhermientofrom Old Leonese *formiento
  • Spanishjurmientofrom Old Leonese *formiento
  • Galicianformento
  • Asturianformientufrom Old Leonese *formiento
  • Leonesefurmientufrom Old Leonese *formiento
  • Leonesefermientufrom Old Leonese *formiento
Italo-Romance
  • Italianformento
Gallo-Italic
  • Romagnolforment

In English words that came into English from fermentum

  • fermentfermentō

Quick answers

What does fermentum mean in Latin?
fermentum, a noun, means “the process of fermentation or leavening; yeast, ferment, leaven (a substance used for fermentation); passion”.
What is the genitive of fermentum?
The genitive singular is fermentī. fermentum is neuter, second declension.