LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinethird declension

index

index m or f (genitive indicis)
Classical[ˈɪn.dɛks]Ecclesiastical[ˈin.deks]

Meaning

  1. femininemasculineA pointer, indicator.
  2. femininemasculineThe index finger, forefinger.
  3. femininemasculineAn index, list, catalogue, table, summary, digest.
  4. femininemasculineA title, superscription.
  5. femininemasculineA sign, indication, proof, mark, token, index.
  6. femininemasculineAn informer, discoverer, director, talebearer, guide, witness, betrayer, spy.
  7. femininemasculineAn inscription.

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeindexindicēs
genitiveindicisindicum
dativeindicīindicibus
accusativeindicemindicēs
ablativeindiceindicibus
vocativeindexindicēs

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

index, inscriptio libri
the title of a book.

index, dĭcis, com. 1. indico,
I. he who (that which) points out, a pointer, indicator (class.).
I. Lit.
A. Of things.
1. Of the forefinger, index-finger.
(a). With digitus: indice monstraret digito, Hor. S. 2, 8, 26; Isid. Orig. 11, 1, 70.—
(b). Alone: sed plane pollex, non index, Cic. Att. 13, 46, 1. —
2. In gen., an index, sign, mark, indication, proof: complexus, summae benevolentiae falsi indices in amore simulato, Cic. Phil. 11, 2, 5: quia continetis vocem, indicem stultitiae vestrae, id. Rab. Perd. 6, 18: auctoris anulus index, Ov. P. 2, 10, 3: lacrimas paenitentiae indices profuderunt, Curt. 5, 10, 13: herbae horarum indices heliotropium ac lupinum, Plin. 18, 27, 67, § 252: imago animi vultus, indices oculi, Cic. Or. 18, 60: Janum indicem pacis bellique fecit, Liv. 1, 19, 2.—
B. Of persons.
1. In gen., one who indicates or discloses, a discoverer, director, guide, informer, discloser, witness: haec omnia indices detulerunt, rei confessi sunt, Cic. Cat. 4, 3, 5: Sestius ab indice Cn. Nerio de ambitu est postulatus, id. Q. Fr. 2, 3, 5; id. Clu. 7, 21: immittere ad rei probationem, Just. 32, 2 fin.: idem et testis, Tac. A. 4, 28.—
2. Esp., in a bad sense, an informer, betrayer, spy: Catilinam vallatum indicibus atque sicariis, Cic. Mur. 24, 49: saeptus armatis indicibus, id. Sest. 44, 95; id. Vat. 10, 24.—
II. Transf.
A. Of books.
1. A title, superscription: deceptus indicibus librorum, Cic. de Or. 2, 14, 61: alteri (libello) Gladius, alteri Pugio index erat, Suet. Cal. 49: index orationis P. Scipionis nomen M. Naevii habet, Liv. 38, 56. —
2. An index, catalogue, table, list, summary: ut non indicem certe ex bibliotheca sumptum transferre in libros suos possit, Quint. 10, 1, 57: philosophorum, Sen. Ep. 39, 2; cf. Gell. 3, 3, 1: hactenus omnia jura quasi per indicem tetigisse satis est, Gai. Inst. 3, 54: quasi per indicem rem exponere, id. ib. 4, 15: fungar indicis partibus, Plin. Ep. 3, 5, 2.—
B. Of paintings or statues, an inscription: nec quaeris, quid quaque index sub imagine dicat, Tib. 4, 1, 30: tabula in aedem Matris Matutae cum indice hoc posita est, etc., Liv. 41, 28, 8.—
C. Of a touchstone: in durum silicem, qui nunc quoque dicitur Index, Ov. M. 2, 706.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁én
  2. Proto-Italic*en
  3. Old Latinen
  4. Latinindex

Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *déyḱeti Proto-Italic *deikō Latin dīcō Proto-Indo-European *-s Latin -s Latin index From in + dīcō (“to say, indicate”) + -s. Compare iūdex.

Descendants
  • Catalanenze
  • Catalaníndex
  • Englishindex
  • Frenchindex
  • GermanIndex
  • Italianendice
  • Italianindice
  • Portugueseíndex
  • Portugueseíndice
  • Romanianindex

Quick answers

What does index mean in Latin?
index, a noun, means “A pointer, indicator.; The index finger, forefinger.; An index, list, catalogue, table, summary, digest.”.
What is the genitive of index?
The genitive singular is indicis. index is masculine, third declension.
How do you pronounce index?
In classical Latin, [ˈɪn.dɛks]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈin.deks].
Where does index come from?
Proto-Indo-European *h₁én → Proto-Italic *en → Old Latin en → Latin index.