noun · neuterthird declension
nūmen
nūmen n (genitive nūminis)
Classical[ˈnuː.mɛn]Ecclesiastical[ˈnuː.men]
№ 452 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- a nod of the head
Numen quasi nutus dei ac potestas
Numen is as if the nod and power of a godc. 2nd century, Sextus Pompeius Festus, De Verborum Significatione p. 172 - divine sway or will
sed hic praesentes suo numine atque auxilio sua templa atque urbis tecta defendunt
but standing here, they defend their temples and the buildings of their city with their divine will and aid106 BCE – 43 BCE, Cicero, In Catilinam 2.13.29 - divine power or right
in prece tōtus eram: caelestia nūmina sēnsī, laetaque purpureā lūce refulsit humus. [As] I was rapt in prayer, I sensed [the presence of] heavenly powers, and the joyful ground gleamed with purple light. (A poetic encounter with Vesta (mythology); see also Vestalia.)
8 CE, Ovidius, Fasti 6.251–252 - divinity (Georges Dumézil argues this is a modern meaning and not one from the Classical period, where it was either attributed to particular gods or other entities, such as in numen Cereris or numen dei, or wrongly interpreted)
- broadlyfairy
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
vīs et voluntās deī; nūmen adest.nūmen -inis n — in Mille Verba, Deī et Sacra
vīs dīvīna in locōnūmen -inis (n) — in Epistulae, ch. 7
potestās deī, vel ipse deusnūmen nūminis (n) — in Metamorphoses I, ch. 17
Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms
Numen · Deus · Divus · Semo · Heros
Numen (πνεῦμα) in a wider sense is any divine being, like δαίμων; in a narrower sense it is used as a species of Deus, or ancient Divus, θεός; and for semideus, a half-god; or semo, a half-man; for which last, besides the foreign word heros, numen also is used. Plin. Pan. 2, 3. Nusquam ut deo, nusquam ut numini blandimur. (vi. 239.)
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | nūmen | nūmina |
| genitive | nūminis | nūminum |
| dative | nūminī | nūminibus |
| accusative | nūmen | nūmina |
| ablative | nūmine | nūminibus |
| vocative | nūmen | nūmina |
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- numen (deorum) divinum
- the sovereign power of the gods.
nūmen, ĭnis, n. for nuimen, root nu-; Gr. νεύω, nod; Lat. nuo in re-nuo, etc, prop.,
I. a nodding with the head, a nod: numen quasi nutus dei ac potestas dicitur, Paul. ex Fest. p. 173 Müll.—Hence, trop., a nod, i. e. command, will. *
I. In gen.:
ad numen mentis momenque moveri, Lucr. 3, 144 (but id. 2, 632, and 4, 179, the correct reading is momine, v. Lachm.).—II. In partic., the divine will, the will or power of the gods, divine sway (the class. signif. of the word):
numen dicunt esse imperium, dictum ab nutu: numina sunt, quojus imperium maximum esse videatur, Varr. L. L. 7, § 85 Müll.: deo, cujus numini parent omnia, Cic. Div. 1, 53, 120: multa saepe prodigia vim ejus (Cereris) numenque declarant, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 49, § 107: di inmortales suo numine atque auxilio sua templa atque urbis tecta defendunt, id. Cat. 2, 13, 29: numen interdictumque deorum immortalium, id. Pis. 21, 48: nox et Diana, Nunc, nunc adeste, nunc in hostiles domos Iram atque numen vertite, Hor. Epod. 5, 54.—To Fortune: nullum numen abest, si sit prudentia, Juv. 10, 365.—Hence, transf., of the will, might, authority of powerful persons: flectere tenta Caesareum numen, numine, Bacche, tuo, Ov. Tr. 5, 3, 45; cf. id. P. 4, 13, 24: annuite, Patres Conscripti, nutum numenque vestrum invictum Campanis, Liv. 7, 30; cf.: quanta potestas, quanta majestas, quantum denique numen, sit historiae, Plin. Ep. 9, 27, 1.—B. Godhead, divinity, deity, divine majesty, etc.:
numina Palladis, Verg. A. 3, 543: per Dianae numina, Hor. Epod. 17, 3: venerantur numina nymphae, Mygdonidesque nurus, Ov. M. 6, 44: audis ... positas ut glaciet nives Puro numine Juppiter, Hor. C. 3, 10, 8.—Concr., a divinity, deity, a god, goddess: caeleste numen, Liv. 1, 21, 1; Val. Max. 2, 4, 4; 5, 1, 3; Amm. 19, 1, 4: summum, Sen. Q. N. 7, 30, 4; Amm. 15, 8, 9; 17, 7, 3 al.: templa et effigies numinum, Tac. A. 1, 10; 1, 73; 3, 71; 15, 45; Suet. Calig. 22: nos magna precati Numina, Verg. A. 3, 634: si quem Numina laeva sinunt, id. G. 4, 7: promissaque numine firmat, i. e. by calling a god to witness, by an oath, Ov. M. 10, 430: vadimus immixti haud numine nostro, the divinity not with us, Verg. A. 2, 396, cf. sqq.: hospes numinis Idaei, Juv. 3, 138: in contumeliam numinum, Plin. Pan. 11: Titus numinibus aequatus est, id. ib. 35: numinis loco habere, Tac. G. 8: numina quibus sacrificabat, Val. Max. 5, 10, ext. 2: ea numina, i. e. Apollo and Diana, Tac. A. 3, 61; Plin. 4, 7, 12, § 25; 18, 13, 35, § 132.—Of the manes of a beloved person: juro per illos manes, numina mei doloris, Quint. 6 prooem. § 10 Spald.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
nūmen inis, n
2 NV-, a nod ; hence, a command, will, authority : magnum numen unum et idem sentientis senatūs: Caesareum, O.: adnuite, P. C., nutum numenque vestrum Campanis, L.— The divine will, power of the gods, divine sway, supreme authority : deo, cuius numini parent omnia: di suo numine sua templa defendunt: Nullum numen habes, si sit prudentia (to Fortune), Iu.— God-head, divinity, deity, divine majesty : deorum inmortalium numen placare, Cs.: numina Palladis, V.: per Dianae numina, H.— A divinity, deity, god, goddess : caeleste, L.: Numina laeva, V.: promissaque numine firmat, i. e. by calling to witness , O.: Vadimus haud numine nostro, unpropitious , V.: hospes numinis Idaei, Iu.: numinis loco habere, Ta.: violatum Augusti, Ta.—Sing collect. : sorores vocat, inplacabile numen, O.
Origins
Could be simply an action noun of *nuō, for *nuimen, from *nuō + -men, thus meaning "a nodding with the head", "a nod", "command", "will" (as nūtus), with the particular meaning of "the divine will", "the will or power of the gods", "divine sway".
Descendants
- Englishnumen
- Englishnuminous
- Italiannume
- Portuguesenume
- Portuguesenúmen
- Spanishnumen