LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinethird declension

homō̆

homō̆ m (genitive hominis)
Classical[ˈhɔ.moː]Ecclesiastical[ˈɔː.mo]
№ 88 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. human, person, man
    Homō hominī lupus est (proverb).Man is a wolf to man.
    Hominēs, dum docent, discunt.People, while teaching, learn. [I.e., the teacher is also a student.]
  2. male human being, man
    [Agorastocles] Ita me di ament, tardo amico nihil est quicquam inaequius, / praesertim homini amanti, qui quidquid agit properat omnia. / Sicut ego hos duco advocatos, homines spissigradissimos, / tardiores quam corbitae sunt in tranquillo mari.[Agorastocles] May gods so love me, nothing is more unfair than having a slothful friend, even more so to a man in love, who in doing anything must all expedite. So I lead them, having called them forth, the most slow-paced men of them all, slower than freight ships [corbitae] upon a quiet sea.c. 194 BCE, Plautus, Poenulus 3.1.1–4
    Quī abortionis aut amatoris poculum dant[…]si eo mulier aut homo perierit[…]Those who poison someone with an abortion or love potion […] if it causes the death of the woman or man […]533 CE, Iustinianus, Digesta 48.19.38.5.3
  3. term of address to male peers, especially by another man: man, fellow, mate, pal, bud, partner, dude
    prō Iuppiter, tŭ homō adigi' mĕ ad īnsāniam!For Jupiter's sake, man, you're driving me insane!160 BCE, Publius Terentius Afer, Adelphoe 111 (Robert Kauer and W. M. Lindsay (eds), 1958)
  4. term of address to a man by a woman, used in the vocative expression mi homō
    Mi homo et mea mulier, vos saluto.My man and my woman, I greet you.c. 203 BCE, Plautus, Cistellaria 4.2.57
  5. Medieval Latinhusband

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

quī vīvit et cōgitat: vir aut fēmina; hominēs mortālēs sunt.
homō -inis m — in Mille Verba, ch. Vīta et Mors
a human being
homō — in Seneca, ch. II

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Sacer · Sanctus

Sacer (ἄγος) denotes that which is sacred, inasmuch as it belongs to the gods, in opp. to profanus, like ἱερός; whereas sanctus (from ἁγνός) inasmuch as it is under the protection of the gods, and, being guarded from profanation, is, in consequence, pure and spotless, in opp. to pollutus, like ὅσιος. Hence sanctus homo is a pure, pious man; sacer, one accursed, devoted to the gods as an expiatory sacrifice. In the same manner sancire means to place under the immediate protection of the gods, as laws and compacts, for example; whereas sacrare means to dedicate to the gods, as temples and altars, for example. (iii. 198.)

Homo · Mas · Vir · Homunculus · Homuncio · Homullus

1. Homo (Goth. guma, from humus, χθών, ἐπιχθόνιος), means a human being, man or woman, in opp. to deus and bellua, like ἄνθρωπος; mas and vir mean only the man; mas in a physical sense, in opp. to femina, like ἄρσην; vir (Goth. wair, from ἰρῆνες), in a physical sense, in opp. to mulier, like ἀνήρ. Sen. Polyb. 36. Non sentire mala sua non est hominis, at non ferre non est viri. Ep. 103. Cic. Tusc. ii. 22. Fam. v. 17. Justin, xi. 13. 2. Homunculus denotes the weak and powerless being called man, with reference to the whole race, in opp. to the Deity, to nature in general, to the universe, etc.; homuncio and homullus denote the weak and insignificant man, as an individual, in opp. to other men; homuncio, with a feeling of pity; homullus, with a feeling of scorn. (v. 133.)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativehomō̆hominēs
genitivehominishominum
dativehominīhominibus
accusativehominemhominēs
ablativehominehominibus
vocativehomō̆hominēs

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

homo novus
a parvenu (a man no member of whose family has held curule office).
homines docti
learned, scientific, literary men.
homo perditus
a depraved, abandoned character.
homo popularis
a democrat.
homo impotens sui
a man of no self-control, self-indulgent.
post homines natos
within the memory of man.
(homo) symphoniacus
a singer, member of a choir.
sic vita hominum est
that is the way of the world; such is life.
38 more phrases
post hominum memoriam
within the memory of man.
homines omnis generis
people of every rank.
homo plebeius, de plebe
one of the people.
homo bene (male) moratus
a moral (immoral) man.
homo in historia diligens
a conscientious historian.
in sermonem hominum venire
to be a subject for gossip.
homines litterarum studiosi
learned, scientific, literary men.
existimatio hominum, omnium
the common opinion, the general idea.
existimatio populi, hominum
public opinion.
homines graves (opp. leves)
men of sound opinions.
quot homines, tot sententiae
many men, many minds.
homo effrenatus, intemperans
a man of no self-control, self-indulgent.
pro victimis homines immolare
to sacrifice human victims.
vir or homo doctus, litteratus
a man of learning; a scholar; a savant.
homo in re publica exercitatus
an experienced politician.
homo florens in populari ratione
a democratic leader.
homo in dialecticis versatissimus
an accomplished dialectician.
homo voluptarius (Tusc. 2. 7. 18)
a devotee of pleasure; a self-indulgent man.
hominum coetus, congressus fugere
to shun society.
homines omnium ordinum et aetatum
people of every rank and age.
homo intimus, familiarissimus mihi
my most intimate acquaintance.
aurae popularis homo (Liv. 42. 30)
a popular man.

hŏmo, ĭnis (archaic form hemonem hominem dicebant, Paul. ex Fest. p. 100 Müll.; cf. humanus
I. init., and nēmo, from nĕ-hĕmo: homōnem, Enn. ap. Prisc. p. 683 P. = Ann. v. 141 Vahl.: hŏmōnes, Naev. 1, 1), comm. root in humus, Gr. χαμαί; cf. Germ. -gam in Bräutigam; O. H. Germ. gomo; Goth. guma; Old Engl. goom; Engl. groom; cf. also Gr. ἐπιχθόνιοι; Hebr. Adam, a human being, man.
I. Lit.
A. In gen.: animal hoc providum, sagax, multiplex, acutum, memor, plenum rationis et consilii quem vocamus hominem, praeclara quadam condicione generatum esse a summo deo, etc., Cic. Leg. 1, 7, 22; cf., on the natural history of man, Plin. 7 praef. sq.; § 5 sq.: decem hominibus vitam eripis, indictā causā, Cato ap. Gell. 13, 25 (24), 12: dum quidem unus homo Romanus toga superescit, Enn. ap. Fest. p. 302 Müll. (Ann. v. 486 Vahl.); cf.: unus homo nobis cunctando restituit rem, id. ap. Macr. S. 6, 1 (Ann. v. 313 ib.): navus repertus homo Graio patre Graius homo rex, id. ap. Fest. p. 169 Müll. (Ann. v. 183 ib.): homo jam grandior, Ter. Phorm. 2, 3, 15: homo amicus nobis ... homo antiqua virtute ac fide, id. Ad. 3, 3, 86 sq.; cf.: bonus homo et nobis amicus, Cic. Fam. 16, 18 fin.: quid est, quod homo masculus lubentius videre debeat bella uxore? Varr. ap. Non. 248, 16: infelix, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 169: homo omni doctrina eruditus, Cic. Fin. 1, 5, 13; cf.: homo summā prudentiā, multā etiam doctrinā, id. Fam. 3, 7, 5: de hujus hominis (i. e. Pompei) felicitate, etc., id. de Imp. Pomp. 16, 47: iners atque inutilis, id. Off. 3, 6, 31; cf.: contemptus et abjectus, id. Agr. 2, 34, 93: insulsus, id. Tusc. 1, 8, 15; cf. also: hominum homo stultissime, Ter. Ad. 2, 2, 10: quid hoc homine faciatis? Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 16, § 42: consulere generi hominum, the human race, mankind, id. Rep. 3, 12: genus hominum, id. ib. 2, 26; id. de Or. 1, 9, 36; Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 7 et saep. (more freq., genus humanum; v. humanus and genus); cf.: natura hominem conciliat homini ... hominum coetus et celebrationes, Cic. Off. 1, 4, 12: placet Stoicis, quae in terris gignantur, ad usum hominum omnia creari, homines autem hominum causa esse generatos, id. ib. 1, 7, 22: homines plurimum hominibus et prosunt et obsunt, id. ib. 2, 5, 17: is dictus popularibus olim, Qui tum vivebant homines, Enn. ap. Cic. Brut. 15, 58 (Ann. v. 308 Vahl.): homines Romani, Cic. de Imp. Pomp. 14, 41: lege conciliati homines cum dis putandi sunt, id. Leg. 1, 7, 23: pro deum atque hominum fidem! Plaut. Curc. 5, 3, 16 et saep.: divumque hominumque pater, Enn. ap. Varr. L. L. 5, § 65 Müll. (Ann. v. 566 Vahl.); so, id. ap. Cic. N. D. 2, 2, 4 (Ann. v. 567) and ap. Gell. 12, 4 (Ann. v. 254); but homo, sing., is used of the human race, mankind (= homines, genus humanum), when it has no predicate joined with it: qua haud scio an quidquam melius sit homini datum, Cic. Lael. 6, 20; 3, 11: taces, Monstrum hominis? Ter. Eun. 4, 4, 29; cf.: odium illud hominis impuri, Cic. Fam. 12, 1, 1: quid hoc sit hominis? Plaut. Am. 2, 1, 26; cf.: quid illuc hominus est? Ter. Eun. 5, 1, 17; in addresses: nisi caves tu homo, etc., id. Heaut. 5, 3, 1: tu homo adigis me ad insaniam, id. Ad. 1, 2, 31.—In apposition: mares homines, Plaut. Poen. 5, 5, 32: amanti homini adulescenti, id. Trin. 1, 2, 94; cf.: filius homo adulescens, Ter. Phorm. 5, 8, 52; v. adulescens: verberare hominem senem, id. Ad. 4, 2, 23: servom hominem, id. Phorm. 2, 1, 62: oculi hominis histrionis, Cic. de Or. 2, 46, 193: nemo homo, Plaut. Pers. 2, 2, 29; cf.: ut homo nemo velit nisi hominis similis esse, Cic. N. D. 1, 28, 78; v. nemo. —Of females: mater, cujus ea stultitia est, ut eam nemo hominem appellare possit, Cic. Clu. 70, 199: quae (Io) bos ex homine est, Ov. F. 5, 620; Juv. 6, 284: dulcissimum ab hominis camelinum lac, Plin. 28, 9, 33, § 123: homines feminae (opp. mares homines), Aug. Civ. Dei, 3, 3.—
2. Prov.
a. Quot homines, tot sententiae, many men, many minds, i. e. every one has his own opinion, Ter. Phorm. 2, 4, 14; Cic. Fin. 1, 5, 15.—
b. Ut homo est, ita morem geras, Ter. Ad. 3, 3, 77 (but in Plaut. Most. 3, 2, 36 spurious, v. Ritschl ad h. l.).—
c. Homines, dum docent, discunt, Sen. Ep. 7, 8 fin.—
d. Aiunt homines plus in alieno negotio videre quam in suo, the lookers-on see farther in the game than the players, id. ib. 109, 16. —
e. Homo nulli coloris, neither fish nor flesh, Plaut. Ps. 4, 7, 99.—
f. Homo sum; humani nihil a me alienum puto, Ter. Heaut. 1, 1, 25; cf.: homo ego sum, homo tu es, Plaut. Trin. 2, 4, 46.—
g. Lupus homo homini, non homo, quom qualis sit non novit, Plaut. As. 2, 4, 88.—
B. In partic.
1. Pregn., in a good or a bad sense.
a. In a good sense (cf. vir), a man, as a reasonable or moral being: homo es, qui me emunxisti mucidum, Plaut. Ep. 3, 4, 57: si homo esset, eum potius legeret, Cic. Att. 2, 2, 2: nox te expolivit hominemque reddidit, id. de Or. 2, 10, 40: si vis homo esse, id. Att. 4, 15, 2: homines visi sumus, id. ib. 13, 52, 2: nos quod simus, quod habeamus, quod homines existimemur, id omne abs te habere, id. Fam. 7, 29, 1: si tu sis homo, Ter. Ad. 5, 8, 11: et tu illum tuom, si esses homo, sineres, etc., if you had a man's sense, id. ib. 1, 2, 27: exuens hominem ex homine, Cic. Fin. 5, 12, 35: cum Socrates Alcibiadi persuasisset, eum nihil hominis esse, that he was nothing of a man (i. e. in no respect such as a man should be), id. Tusc. 3, 32, 77: (Nero) dicebat se quasi hominem tandem habitare coepisse, like a human being, Suet. Ner. 31: me hominem inter homines voluit esse, Petr. 39. —
b. In a bad sense, a man, as a weak, mortal being, subject to error, of low condition (rare): fateor me saepe peccasse, nam et homo sum et adhuc juvenis, Petr. 130: cf. homines sumus, non dei, id. 75: (Demosthenes, Homerus) summi sunt, homines tamen, Quint. 10, 1, 25.—In fem.: quae si hoc tempore non diem suum obiisset, paucis post annis tamen ei moriendum fuit, quoniam homo nata fuerat, Sulp. ap. Cic. Fam. 4, 5, 4.—Also of servants (as distinguished from a free Roman): homo P. Quinti, Quintus's man, i. e. his slave, servant, Cic. Quint. 19, 61: vinum familiae ... Saturnalibus et Compitalibus in singulos homines congios, Cato, R. R. 57, 2; Cat. 10, 16.—
2. In opp. to a woman, a man (anteand post-class., and very rare): mi homo et mea mulier, vos saluto, Plaut. Cist. 4, 2, 57; Lact. 2, 12; Dig. 48, 19, 38.—*
3. In milit. lang., homines, opp. to cavalry, foot-soldiers, infantry: capti homines equitesque producebantur, Caes. B. C. 2, 39, 5; cf. vir. —
4. Homo novus, v. novus.—
5. Bodies, corpses: jam pigritia singulos sepeliendi promisce acervatos cumulos hominum urebant, Liv. 5, 48, 3.—
6. Particular phrases.
a. Paucorum hominum esse, to have but few intimates, be choice in one's company: (Maecenas) paucorum hominum et mentis bene sanae. Hor. S. 1, 9, 44: homo est Perpaucorum hominum, Ter. Eun. 3, 1, 19.— Hence, comically, of the favorite but rare fish, acipenser: Scipio vide, quid agas: acipenser iste paucorum hominum est, Cic. Fragm. ap. Macr. S. 2, 12 (see the anecdote in connection).—
b. Inter homines esse (agere).
(a). To be among the living, to be alive, to live (very rare): Hercules numquam abiisset ad deos, nisi cum inter homines esset, eam sibi viam munivisset, Cic. Tusc. 1, 14, 32: inter homines esse desinere, i. e. to die, Dig. 31, 1, 59; so, agere inter homines desinere, Tac. A. 15, 74 fin.: ab hominibus ereptus est, Dig. 31, 1, 58.—
(b). To see the world, be among men: iste homo qui numquam inter homines fuerit, Cic. Rosc. Am. 28, 76.—
II. Transf., esp. in familiar lang., the man, the fellow, instead of the pron. he, his, him: haben argentum ab homine? Plaut. Ps. 4, 7, 65: ibi homo coepit me obsecrare, ut, etc., Ter. Eun. 2, 2, 30: itast homo, id. Ad. 1, 2, 63: dixit, se senatui roganti de Marcello ne hominis quidem causa negaturum, Cic. Fam. 4, 4, 3: ei medico imperasti, ut venas hominis incideret, id. Pis. 34, 83: tantum esse in homine sceleris, id. Sest. 9, 22 Halm.; 41, 89; Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 27, § 62: persuasit homini, Nep. Dat. 10, 3: aut insanit homo aut versus facit, Hor. S. 2, 7, 117: agnoscit hominem Caesar, Phaedr. 2, 5, 19 Burm. ad loc.; al.—
B. Hic homo, this man, = I, myself (ante-class. and poet.): hunc hominem velles si tradere, Hor. S. 1, 9, 47: solus hic homo est, qui sciat, etc., Plaut. Curc. 2, 1, 33: tibi verba, huic homini verbera, Ter. Heaut. 2, 2, 114 (cf. hic, G.).

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*dʰeǵʰ-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*dʰéǵʰōm
  3. Proto-Indo-European*ǵʰmṓ
  4. Proto-Italic*hemō
  5. Latinhomō̆

Latin homō From earlier hemō, from Proto-Italic *hemō, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰm̥mṓ (“earthling”), from *dʰéǵʰōm (“earth”), whence Latin humus. Cognates include Old Lithuanian žmuõ (“man”), Gothic 𐌲𐌿𐌼𐌰 (guma) and Old English guma (“man”) (whence English gome). See also nēmō (“no one”), from *ne hemō. Ancient attempts at etymologizing this word The etymological connection between this word and humus (“earth”) was noticed in antiquity, as it is mentioned by Quintilian, though he erroneously rejects this theory: * c. 95 CE, Quintilianus, Institutio oratoria 1.6.34: Etiamne ‘hominem’ appellari quia sit humo natus (quasi vero non omnibus animalibus eadem origo, aut illi primi mortales ante nomen imposuerint terrae quam sibi) 2001 translation by Donald Russell Or that man is called homo because he is born of the earth, humus, as though all living things did not have that same origin, or the first mortals gave a name to the earth before they gave one to themselves? :::: (The broader context of this quote is that he discussing etymologies he considers "hideous absurdities" ("foedissima ... ludibria".)

Gallo-Romance
  • Catalanhome
  • Occitanòmefrom Old Occitan ome
  • Occitanomefrom Old Occitan ome
  • Franco-Provençalhomo
  • Franco-Provençalon
  • Normanhoumefrom Old French home
  • Normanhaommefrom Old French home
  • Normanhoummefrom Old French home
  • Picardonmefrom Old French home
  • Walloonomefrom Old French home
Ibero-Romance
  • Portuguesehomemfrom Old Galician-Portuguese ome
  • Portuguesehomefrom Old Galician-Portuguese ome
  • Spanishhombrefrom Old Spanish omne
  • Falahomifrom Old Galician-Portuguese ome
  • Galicianhomefrom Old Galician-Portuguese ome
  • Asturianhomefrom Old Leonese ome
  • Leonesehomefrom Old Leonese ome
  • Mirandesehomefrom Old Leonese ome
  • Aragonesehombrefrom Old Navarro-Aragonese hombre
  • Ladinoombrefrom Old Spanish omne
Italo-Dalmatian
  • Italianuomo
  • Italianomo
  • Gallureseommufrom Corsican omu
  • Sassareseommufrom Corsican omu
  • Dalmatianjomno
  • Istriotomo
  • Judeo-Italianאוֹמוֹ
  • Neapolitanommo
  • Sicilianomu
  • Sicilianòminu
Insular Romance
  • Sardinianòmine
Balkano-Romance
  • Romanianom
  • Aromanianom
  • Istro-Romanianom
  • Megleno-Romanianom
  • Megleno-Romanianuom
Borrowings
  • Englishhomo
  • Idohomofrom Esperanto homo
  • Interlinguahomine
  • TranslingualHomo
Rhaeto-Romance
  • Friulianomp
  • Friulianom
  • Ladinom
  • Ladinon
  • Ladinuem
  • Romanshum
Gallo-Italic
  • Emilianòmen
  • Emilianòm
  • Ligurianòmmo
  • Lombardòmm
  • Lombardòmen
  • Piedmonteseòm
  • Piedmonteseòmon
  • Romagnolòm
  • Romagnolòman

In English words that came into English from homō̆

  • homicidehomicīda
  • humanehūmānus
  • homagehomināticum
  • homunculushomunculus
  • hominoidhomō̆
  • hominizationhomō̆
  • hominizehomō̆
  • ombrehomō̆
  • homininhomō̆
  • homocentrichomō̆
  • homophobiahomō̆
  • hominismhomō̆
  • homohomō̆

Quick answers

What does homō̆ mean in Latin?
homō̆, a noun, means “human, person, man; male human being, man; term of address to male peers, especially by another man: man, fellow, mate, pal, bud, partner, dude”.
What is the genitive of homō̆?
The genitive singular is hominis. homō̆ is masculine, third declension.
How do you pronounce homō̆?
In classical Latin, [ˈhɔ.moː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈɔː.mo].
Where does homō̆ come from?
Proto-Indo-European *dʰeǵʰ- → Proto-Indo-European *dʰéǵʰōm → Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰmṓ → Proto-Italic *hemō → Latin homō̆.
Which English words come from homō̆?
English words that go back to Latin homō̆ include hominoid, hominization, hominize, ombre, hominin and homocentric.