LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · neutersecond declension

somnium

somnium n (genitive somniī or somnī)
Classical[ˈsɔm.ni.ũː]Ecclesiastical[ˈsɔm.ni.um]

Meaning

  1. neuterdream, vision
  2. neuterfantasy, daydream

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Somnus · Sopor · Somnium · Insomnium

1. Somnus (ὕπνος) denotes sleep, as a usual prosaic expression; sopor (ὕπαρ) as a select poetical expression. In prose sopor has only a causative meaning, a means of producing sleep, but not a deep sleep. 2. Somnium denotes a dream, in prose, like ὄναρ; insomnium, in poetry, like ἐνύπνιον. (v. 278.)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativesomniumsomnia
genitivesomniī
somnī		somniōrum
dativesomniōsomniīs
accusativesomniumsomnia
ablativesomniōsomniīs
vocativesomniumsomnia

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

somnium interpretari
to explain a dream.
somniorum interpres, coniector
an interpreter of dreams.
somnium verum evādit (Div. 2. 53. 108)
my dream is coming true.

somnĭum, ii, n. id..
I. Lit., a dream, Cic. Div. 1, 20, 39; 2, 58, 119; Plin. 10, 75, 98, § 211; Macr. Somn. Scip. 1, 3; Lact. Opif. Dei, 18: rex Priamus somnio perculsus, Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 21, 42 (Trag. v. 59 Vahl.): dum huic conicio somnium, interpret, Plaut. Curc. 2, 2, 3; cf. id. Rud. 3, 1, 19: interpretes somniorum, Cic. Div. 1, 58, 132: jucundissima somnia, id. Fin. 5, 20, 55: per somnia loquentes, talking in their sleep, Lucr. 5, 1158; cf.: quae somnio visa fuerant, Liv. 8, 6, 11 Weissenb.—
B. Personified: Somnia, dreams, as divinities, Cic. N. D. 3, 17, 44; Ov. M. 11, 588; 11, 614 sq—
II. Transf.
A. For any thing idle, silly, or without foundation (cf. somnio, II.), a dream, an idle whim or fancy, stuff, nonsense: tu, quantus quantus, nihil nisi sapientia es: Ille somnium, Ter. Ad. 3, 3, 41: de argento, somnium, id. ib. 2, 1, 50; id. Phorm. 5, 6, 34.—Plur.: fabulae! ... logi! ... somnia! Ter. Phorm. 3, 2, 9: et vigilans stertis nec somnia cernere cessas, visions, Lucr. 3, 1048; cf. id. 1, 105: spes inanes et velut somnia quaedam vigilantium, Quint. 6, 2, 30: exposui fere non philosophorum judicia, sed delirantium somnia, Cic. N. D. 1, 16, 42: Chrysippus Stoicorum somniorum vaferrimus interpres, id. ib. 1, 15, 39: leviter curare videtur, Quo promissa cadant et somnia Pythagorea, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 52.—
B. Poet.: Somnus, tibi somnia tristia portans, i. e. fatal sleep, Verg. A. 5, 840.

Origins

From Proto-Italic *swopnjom, derived from the root of somnus (“sleep”); possibly inherited from Proto-Indo-European *swópn-yo-m, from the root *swep- (“to sleep”). Cognate with Sanskrit स्वप्न्यम् (svápnyam, “vision in a dream”), Lithuanian sapnỹs (“sleep, dream”), Old Church Slavonic съниѥ (sŭnije, “dream”), Tocharian B sänmetse (“in a trance”). By surface analysis, somnus (“sleep”) + -ium (nominal derivational suffix).

Descendants
  • Catalansomni
  • Italiansogno
  • Occitansòmi
  • Frenchsongefrom Old French songe
  • Portuguesesonhofrom Old Galician-Portuguese sonho
  • Spanishsueñofrom Old Spanish suenno
  • Sardiniansónniu
  • Sardiniansonnu
  • Spanishsomnio
  • Asturiansuañu

In English words that came into English from somnium

  • somnificsomnificus
  • somnialsomnialis

Quick answers

What does somnium mean in Latin?
somnium, a noun, means “dream, vision; fantasy, daydream”.
What is the genitive of somnium?
The genitive singular is somniī. somnium is neuter, second declension.
How do you pronounce somnium?
In classical Latin, [ˈsɔm.ni.ũː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈsɔm.ni.um].