LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinethird declension

līmes

līmes m (genitive līmitis)
Classical[ˈliː.mɛs]Ecclesiastical[ˈliː.mes]

Meaning

  1. a limit set between two estates or fields, border, boundary
  2. a fortified boundary line, a boundary wall
  3. a path, footpath
    adclīvī Clymenēia līmite prōlēs8 CE, Ovidius, Metamorphoses 2.19–20
  4. a road
  5. a by-way
  6. figurativelya way, means
    si bene dicetis, vostra ripa vos sequar,c. 194 BCE, Plautus, Poenulus 3.3.18
    si quidem bene meritis de patria quasi limes ad caeli aditus patet,[…], nunc tamen tanto praemio exposito enitar multo vigilantius54 BCE – 51 BCE, Cicero, De re publica 6.26
  7. a boundary, border, end
    limes mihi carminis estoc. 45 CE – 96 CE, Statius, Thebais 1.16–17
    Unus Pellaeo iuueni non sufficit orbis, aestuat infelix angusto limite mundic. 100 CE – c. 130 CE, Juvenalis, Saturae 4.10.168–170
  8. a distinction, difference
    Qua potes, in peius dotes deflecte puellae,c. 2 CE, Ovidius, Remedia Amoris 325–326
    ita quaedam perquam tenui limite dividunturc. 95 CE, Quintilianus, Institutio oratoria 9.1.3

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Finis · Terminus · Limes

Finis (from φθίνω) denotes a boundary, as a mathematical line, like τέλος; terminus and limes, a mark, as the material sign of a boundary; terminus (τειρόμενος, τέρμα,) a stone set up, as the sign of a bounding point, like τέρμα; limes, a ridge, as the sign of a bounding line, like ὅρος. Cic. Læl. 16. Constituendi sunt qui sint in amicitia fines et quasi termini diligendi. Hor. Carm. ii. 18, 24. Revellis agri terminos et ultra limites clientium salis avarus. (iv. 359.)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativelīmeslīmitēs
genitivelīmitislīmitum
dativelīmitīlīmitibus
accusativelīmitemlīmitēs
ablativelīmitelīmitibus
vocativelīmeslīmitēs

līmĕs, ĭtis, m. root in līmus; cf. limen, and Gr. λέχρις; cf. Just. Inst. 1, 12, 5,
I. a cross-path, balk between fields.
I. Lit., the Romans usually had in their fields two broad and two narrower paths; the principal balk from east to west was called limes decumanus; that from north to south was called cardo; of the two smaller ones, that running from east to west was called prorus, the other, from north to south, transversus, Hyg. de Limit. Const. 18, 33 and 34; Col. 1, 8, 7: lutosi limites, Varr. R. R. 2, 4, 8. —
B. Transf. (mostly poet.).
1. A boundary, limit between two fields or estates, consisting of a stone or a balk: partiri limite campum, Verg. G. 1, 126: saxum antiquum, ingens, campo quod forte jacebat, Limes agro positus, litem ut discerneret arvis, id. A. 12, 897: effodit medio de limite saxum, Juv. 16, 38.—
2. A fortified boundaryline, a boundary-wall: cuncta inter castellum Alisonem ac Rhenum novis limitibus aggeribusque permunita, Tac. A. 2, 7: limite acto promotisque praesidiis, id. G. 29: penetrat interius, aperit limites, Vell. 2, 120.—
3. In gen., any path, passage, road, way; also, by-street, by-road: eo limite Athenienses signa extulerunt, Liv. 31, 39: profectus inde transversis limitibus, id. ib.: lato te limite ducam, Verg. A. 9, 323: acclivis, Ov. M. 2, 19: limite recto fugere, id. ib. 7, 782: transversi, by-roads, Liv. 22, 12, 2 Fabr.; 31, 39, 5; 41, 14 init.: limes Appiae, the line of the Appian street (for the street itself), id. 22, 15, 11: limite acto (i. e. facto), Tac. G. 29.— Of the channel of a stream: solito dum flumina currant Limite, Ov. M. 8, 558; Prop. 5, 9, 60.—Of the track of light left behind them by comets, fiery meteors, torches, etc.: flammiferumque trahens spatioso limite crinem, Stella micat, Ov. M. 15, 849: tum longo limite sulcus Dat lucem, Verg. A. 2, 697; Plin. 2, 26, 25, § 96: sectus in obliquo est lato curvamine limes, the zodiac, Ov. M. 2, 130: latum per agmen Ardens limitem agit ferro, Verg. A. 10, 514; cf. Sil. 4, 463; 9, 379; Stat. Th. 9, 182.—
4. A line or vein in a precious stone: nigram materiam distinguente limite albo, Plin. 37, 10, 69, § 184.—
II. Trop.
A. A boundary, limit: limes carminis, Stat. Th. 1, 16: aestuat infelix angusto limite mundi, Juv. 10, 169.—
B. A distinction, difference: judicium brevi limite falle tuum, Ov. R. Am. 325: quaedam perquam tenui limite dividuntur, Quint. 9, 1, 3.—
C. A way, path: si maledicitis vostro gradiar limite, Plaut. Poen. 3, 3, 18: bene meritis de patria quasi limes ad caeli aditum patet, Cic. Somn. Scip. 8; Sen. Ben. 1, 15, 2: eundem limitem agere, to go the same way, employ the same means, Ov. A. A. 3, 558.

Origins

From līmus (“askew”) + -es (“going”). See also līmen.

Borrowings
  • GermanLimes
  • Frenchlimitefrom Old French limite
  • Englishlimitfrom Old French limite
  • Portugueselimite
  • Romanianlimită
  • Spanishlímite
  • Galicianlímite
  • Esperantolimito
  • Finnishlimes
  • Hungarianlimesz
Italo-Romance
  • Italianlimite
  • Italianlemete
  • Italiangliemito
  • Neapolitanlemmeto
  • Neapolitanjemmeto
  • Neapolitanlimiti
  • Sicilianlimitu
Ibero-Romance
  • Portugueselinde
  • Portugueselinda
  • Spanishlinde
  • Asturianllendefrom Old Leonese linde
  • Asturianllindefrom Old Leonese linde
  • Leonesellindefrom Old Leonese linde
  • Falalindi
  • Galicianlinde
Southern Gallo-Romance
  • Catalanllinda
Sardinian
  • Campidaneselimidi
  • Logudoreselimide
Padanian
  • Dalmatianlaindafrom Friulian linda
  • Lombardlimat
  • Lombardzlimat
  • Piedmonteselümi
  • Piedmonteselümmiu
  • Piedmonteselimbiu
Northern Gallo-Romance
  • Franco-Provençallẽda
  • Franco-Provençalẽda
  • Franco-Provençalnẽda
  • Orléanaislindelle
Vulgar Latin
  • Old Frenchlintelfrom Vulgar Latin *līmitellus

Quick answers

What does līmes mean in Latin?
līmes, a noun, means “a limit set between two estates or fields, border, boundary; a fortified boundary line, a boundary wall; a boundary, border, end”.
What is the genitive of līmes?
The genitive singular is līmitis. līmes is masculine, third declension.
How do you pronounce līmes?
In classical Latin, [ˈliː.mɛs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈliː.mes].