LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective

mendīcus1

mendīcus (feminine mendīca, neuter mendīcum, superlative mendīcissimus)
Classical[mɛnˈdiː.kʊs]Ecclesiastical[menˈdiː.kus]

Meaning

  1. adjectivebeggarly, needy, indigent

In the readers how our graded readers gloss it

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativemendīcusmendīcamendīcum
genitivemendīcīmendīcaemendīcī
dativemendīcōmendīcaemendīcō
accusativemendīcummendīcammendīcum
ablativemendīcōmendīcāmendīcō
vocativemendīcemendīcamendīcum
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativemendīcīmendīcaemendīca
genitivemendīcōrummendīcārummendīcōrum
dativemendīcīsmendīcīsmendīcīs
accusativemendīcōsmendīcāsmendīca
ablativemendīcīsmendīcīsmendīcīs
vocativemendīcīmendīcaemendīca

mendīcus, a, um,
I. adj., beggarly, needy, in want, indigent (class.).
I. Lit.: paupertas si malum est, mendicus esse beatus nemo potest, Cic. Fin. 5, 28, 84; cf.: solos sapientes esse, si mendicissimi (sint), divites, id. Mur. 29, 61: mendicior, Tert. de Anim. 33: prandia, Mart. 14, 81.—As subst.: mendīcus, i, m., a beggar, mendicant: mendicum malim mendicando vincere, Quam, etc., Plaut. Bacch. 3, 4, 16: mendici, i. e. the priests of Cybele, Hor. S. 1, 2, 2.—As a term of abuse, a beggar, ragamuffin, Ter. And. 4, 5, 20.—
II. Transf., in gen., poor, paltry, mean, sorry, pitiful: instrumentum mendicum, Cic. de Or. 3, 24, 92.—Hence, adv.: mendīcē, in a beggarly manner, meanly (post-Aug. and post-class.): non tam mendice tecum agam, sed plenā manu, Sen. Ep. 33, 6.—Comp.: ne mendicius patre coenaret, Tert. Pall. 5.

Origins

Proto-Indo-European *-kosder. Latin -īcus Latin mendīcus From menda (“physical defect, fault”) + -īcus.

Descendants
  • Italianmendico
  • Portuguesemendigo
  • Spanishmendigo
  • Asturianméndigu
  • Galicianmendigo
noun · masculinesecond declension
mendīcus2
mendīcus m (genitive mendīcī)
Classical[mɛnˈdiː.kʊs]Ecclesiastical[menˈdiː.kus]

Meaning

  1. beggar, mendicant

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativemendīcusmendīcī
genitivemendīcīmendīcōrum
dativemendīcōmendīcīs
accusativemendīcummendīcōs
ablativemendīcōmendīcīs
vocativemendīcemendīcī

Origins

Proto-Indo-European *-kosder. Latin -īcus Latin mendīcus From menda (“physical defect, fault”) + -īcus.

Quick answers

What does mendīcus mean in Latin?
mendīcus, a adjective, means “beggarly, needy, indigent”.
How do you pronounce mendīcus?
In classical Latin, [mɛnˈdiː.kʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [menˈdiː.kus].