LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininethird declension

lēns1

lēns f (genitive lendis)

Meaning

  1. nit (egg of a louse)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativelēnslendēs
genitivelendis
lentis		lendum
lentium
dativelendīlendibus
lentibus
accusativelendem
lentim		lendēs
ablativelendelendibus
lentibus
vocativelēnslendēs

lens, tis (nom. lentis, acc. to Prisc. p. 764 P.—
I. Acc. lentim, Cato, R. R. 35; 116; Varr. ap. Charis. p. 101 P.: lentem, Col. 2, 10, 15.—Abl. lenti, Titin. ap. Non. 210, 5.— Plur. lentes, Scrib. Comp. 114), f. (masc., Titin. ap. Non. 210, 5), a lentil: lens amat solum tenue, Plin. 18, 12, 31, § 123: Pelusiaca (Egyptian lentils were considered the best), Verg. G. 1, 228; cf. Mart. 13, 9, 1; Gell. 17, 8, 2.

Origins

Unknown. According to De Vaan, perhaps a deformed form of what is found as Proto-Slavic *gňìda (“nit”), Proto-Germanic *hnits (“nit”), Ancient Greek κονίς (konís) (gen. κονίδος (konídos)), Armenian անիծ (anic, “nit”); he proposes Proto-Indo-European *dḱ(o)nid- > *dkni-n-d- > *dklind- > Proto-Italic *(d)lind-. However, like the Indo-European cognates, it may be of substrate origin.

Gallo-Romance
  • Franco-Provençallen
  • Picardlenfrom Old French lent
  • Walloonlinfrom Old French lent
Elsewhere
  • Late Latinlendis

In English words that came into English from lēns

  • lentillenticula
  • lenticularlenticulāris
  • lentiformlēns
  • lenticulalenticula
  • lenticularislenticulāris
  • lenticellalenticella
noun · femininethird declension
lēns2
lēns f (genitive lentis)
Classical[ˈɫẽːs]Ecclesiastical[ˈlɛns]

Meaning

  1. lentil
  2. Medieval Latinlens

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativelēnslentēs
genitivelentislentium
dativelentīlentibus
accusativelentem
lentim		lentēs
lentīs
ablativelente
lentī		lentibus
vocativelēnslentēs

lens, dis, f.,
I. a louse's egg, a nit: lendes tolluntur adipe canino, Plin. 29, 6, 35, § 111; Ser. Samm. 5, 72.

Origins

Unknown, likely a borrowing from an unidentified source. Compare Old High German linsa (“lentil”), Lithuanian lęšis (“lentil”), Proto-Slavic *lęťa (“lentil”), and Albanian lend (“acorn”), sounding too similar for a coincidence, however different enough to prohibit reconstruction of a common PIE protoform. May also be related to Ancient Greek λάθυρος (láthuros). If ultimately a non-IE substrate loanword, locating the source is virtually impossible because cultivation of lentil was widespread in the region since the Neolithic.

Descendants
  • Catalanlent
  • Italianlente
  • Portugueselente
  • Romanianlinte
  • Spanishlente
  • Englishlens
  • Aromanianlinti
  • Friulianlint
  • Galicianlente
  • Sicilianlenti

In English words that came into English from lēns

  • lenslēns
  • lenticellenticella

Quick answers

What does lēns mean in Latin?
lēns, a noun, means “nit (egg of a louse)”.
What is the genitive of lēns?
The genitive singular is lendis. lēns is feminine, third declension.
Which English words come from lēns?
English words that go back to Latin lēns include lentiform, lentil, lenticula, lenticular, lenticularis and lenticella.