noun · masculinethird declension
latex
latex m (genitive laticis)
Classical[ˈɫa.tɛks]Ecclesiastical[ˈlaː.teks]
Meaning
- Classical Latinmasculinepoeticwater
- Classical Latinmasculinepoeticliquid; fluid
- Classical Latinmasculinepoeticjuice; oil; milk
- Classical Latinin pluralmasculinepoeticsprings
- New Latinmasculinea clear liquid believed to be a component of a humour or other bodily fluid (especially plasma and lymph)
- New Latinmasculinemilky liquid which exudes from a plant when cut and which coagulates on exposure to air
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | latex | laticēs |
| genitive | laticis | laticum |
| dative | laticī | laticibus |
| accusative | laticem | laticēs |
| ablative | latice | laticibus |
| vocative | latex | laticēs |
lătex, ĭcis, m. (f., Att. ap. Prisc. p. 658 P.),
I. a liquid, fluid (mostly poet.).—So esp. of water:
latices simulatos fontis Averni, Verg. A. 4, 512: Lethaei ad fluminis undam Securos latices et longa oblivia potant, id. ib. 6, 715: desilit in latices, Ov. M. 4, 353: fontes laticis, id. P. 3, 1, 17: occulti latices, hidden springs, Liv. 44, 33, 2: latex aquae, Sol. 5, 16: laticum frugumque cupido, thirst and hunger, Lucr. 4, 1093.—Of wine: liquoris vitigeni, Lucr. 5, 15: Lyaeus, Verg. A. 1, 686: meri, Ov. M. 13, 653: vineus, Sol. 5, 16.—Of other liquids: absinthi, juice of wormwood, Lucr. 4, 16: Palladii, oil, Ov. M. 8, 274: nivei, milk, Prud. Cath. 3, 67.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
latex icis, m
a liquid, fluid.—Rare in sing: Lyaeus, wine, V.: meri, O.—Plur: latices simulatos fontis Averni, waters, V.: Desilit in latices, O.: occulti, hidden springs, L.: laticum honor, a libation, V.: Palladii latices, oil, O.
Origins
Potentially a borrowing from Ancient Greek λᾰ́τᾰξ (lắtăx, “drop of wine”), reformed by analogy to other nouns in -ex. The semantic shift, however, from drop of wine to water is difficult to explain and may indicate that both words originated from a separate language. Perhaps from the same root as Proto-Celtic *latis (Old Irish laith (“liquid, beer”), Welsh llad (“beer”)) or Proto-Germanic *ladjō- (Old High German letto (“clay, loam”), Old Norse leðja (“mud, dregs”)) or from a Pre-Greek language.
Descendants
- Englishlatex
- Catalanlàtex
- Frenchlatex
- GermanLatex
- Italianlatice
- Italianlattice
- Portugueselátice
- Portugueselátex
- Romanianlatex
- Spanishlátex