LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective

generōsus

generōsus (feminine generōsa, neuter generōsum, adverb generōsē)
Classical[ɡɛ.nɛˈroː.sʊs]Ecclesiastical[d͡ʒe.neˈrɔː.s̬us]

Meaning

  1. adjectivewell-born, well-bred, noble
    Generosus equus non curat canem latrantem."A well-bred horse does not attend to a barking dog."Source: Strauss, Emmanuel (1998), Dictionary of European Proverbs, Routledge, page 340
  2. adjectivesuperior, excellent
  3. adjectivefigurativelygenerous, magnanimous
  4. adjectivefigurativelydignified, honorable

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativegenerōsusgenerōsagenerōsum
genitivegenerōsīgenerōsaegenerōsī
dativegenerōsōgenerōsaegenerōsō
accusativegenerōsumgenerōsamgenerōsum
ablativegenerōsōgenerōsāgenerōsō
vocativegenerōsegenerōsagenerōsum
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativegenerōsīgenerōsaegenerōsa
genitivegenerōsōrumgenerōsārumgenerōsōrum
dativegenerōsīsgenerōsīsgenerōsīs
accusativegenerōsōsgenerōsāsgenerōsa
ablativegenerōsīsgenerōsīsgenerōsīs
vocativegenerōsīgenerōsaegenerōsa

gĕnĕrōsus a, um, adj. genus,
I. of good or noble birth, noble, eminent (class.).
I. Lit.: generosa ac nobilis virgo (opp. mulier ignota), Cic. Par. 3, 1, 20: civili generosa ab stirpe profectus, id. Div. 1, 12, 20: generosissima femina, Suet. Tib. 49; cf.: viderat a veteris generosam sanguine Teucri Iphis Anaxareten, humili de stirpe creatus, Ov. M. 14, 698: non quia, Maecenas, nemo generosior est te ... naso suspendis adunco Ignotos, Hor. S. 1, 6, 2; cf. id. 24: quamquam ego naturam unam et communem omnium existimo, sed fortissimum quemque generosissimum, Sall. J. 85, 15: nominibus generosus avitis, Ov. Tr. 4, 4, 1: Maeoniā generose domo, Verg. A. 10, 141: miles, i. e. the Fabii, Ov. F. 2, 199: o generosam stirpem! Cic. Brut. 58, 213: atria, Ov. F. 1, 591: quis enim generosum dixerit hunc? Juv. 8, 30: sapiens et nobilis et generosus, id. 7, 191; 8, 224.—
B. Transf., of animals, plants, etc., of a good or noble species, noble, superior, excellent (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose): sues, of a noble stock, Plin. 11, 40, 95, § 233: pecus, Verg. G. 3, 75: equus, Quint. 5, 11, 4; Symm. Ep. 4, 61: leones generosissimi, Plin. 10, 21, 24, § 47: testa (i. e. concha), Hor. S. 2, 4, 31: ostrea, Plin. 32, 6, 21, § 61: generosum et lene requiro (vinum), of a good sort, generous, Hor. Ep. 1, 15, 18; cf. vitis, Col. 3, 2 fin.; 3, 2, 17: pruna, Ov. M. 13, 818; cf.: generosissima mala, Plin. 15, 17, 18, § 64: quod est pomum generosissimum? nonne quod optimum? Quint. 5, 11, 4: sorba, Plin. 15, 21, 23, § 85: obsonium, id. 15, 29, 35, § 118: arbor, Quint. 8, 3, 76: flos, Ov. F. 5, 211 al.: generosos palmite colles, id. M. 15, 710; cf.: insula inexhaustis Chalybum generosa metallis, Verg. A. 10, 174.—
II. Trop.
A. Of persons, noble-minded, magnanimous, generous: cum de imperio certamen esset cum rege generoso ac potente (Pyrrho), Cic. Off. 3, 22, 86; cf.: quid homo? nonne is generosissimus qui optimus? Quint. 5, 11, 4: Alexander generosi spiritus imperator, Plin. 8, 40, 61, § 149: quis enim generosum dixerit hunc qui Indignus genere, Juv. 8, 30.—
B. Of things, noble, dignified, honorable: humilis et minime generosus ortus amicitiae, Cic. Lael. 9, 29: quaedam generosa virtus, id. Tusc. 2, 6, 16: Dolabella, vir simplicitatis generosissimae, Vell. 2, 125 fin.: quo generosior celsiorque est (animus), Quint. 1, 2, 3; id. 2, 4, 4: forma magnifica et generosa quodammodo, Cic. Brut. 75, 261; quoted by Suet. paraphrastically, Suet. Caes. 55: quicquid est in oratione generosius, Quint. prooem. 24: tamen emerui generosos vestis honores, i. e. the dress of honor (of a mother of three children), Prop. 4, 11, 61. —Hence, * adv.: gĕnĕrōse (acc. to II.), nobly: generosius Perire quaerens, Hor. C. 1, 37, 21.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ǵenh₁-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*ǵénh₁os
  3. Proto-Italic*genos
  4. Latingenerōsus

Proto-Indo-European *h₃ed- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *h₃édosder.? Proto-Italic *-ŏ̄dsos? Old Latin -ōssus Latin -ōsus Latin generōsus From genus (“birth, origin”) + -ōsus.

Descendants
  • Catalangenerós
  • Italiangeneroso
  • Englishgenerousfrom Middle French genereux
  • Frenchgénéreuxfrom Middle French genereux
  • Germangenerösfrom Middle French genereux
  • Occitangenerós
  • Portuguesegeneroso
  • Romaniangeneros
  • Spanishgeneroso
  • Galicianxeneroso

Quick answers

What does generōsus mean in Latin?
generōsus, a adjective, means “well-born, well-bred, noble; superior, excellent; generous, magnanimous”.
How do you pronounce generōsus?
In classical Latin, [ɡɛ.nɛˈroː.sʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [d͡ʒe.neˈrɔː.s̬us].
Where does generōsus come from?
Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- → Proto-Indo-European *ǵénh₁os → Proto-Italic *genos → Latin generōsus.