adjectivefirst/second declension
summus
summus (superlative, feminine summa, neuter summum, comparative superior, adverb summē or summiter)
Classical[ˈsʊm.mʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈsum.mus]
Mille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- comparativesuperiorsuperlativehighest
- comparativesuperiorsuperlativegreatest, best, utmost
in illo tempore exauditae sunt preces amborum in conspectu gloriae summi Dei
At that time, the prayers of them both were heard in the sight of the glory of God most high4th century, St Jerome, Vulgate, Tobit 3:24 - comparativesuperiorsuperlativethe highest part of, the top of, uppermost of
summus mōns
the top of a/the mountainsumma columna
the top of a column
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
prīnceps, altissimussummus -a -um — in Evangelium secundum Marcum, ch. 17
highest, utmost
summus -a -um — in De Bello Gallico III, ch. 12, 18, 19
Declension
| form | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | summus | summa | summum |
| genitive | summī | summae | summī |
| dative | summō | summae | summō |
| accusative | summum | summam | summum |
| ablative | summō | summā | summō |
| vocative | summe | summa | summum |
| form | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | summī | summae | summa |
| genitive | summōrum | summārum | summōrum |
| dative | summīs | summīs | summīs |
| accusative | summōs | summās | summa |
| ablative | summīs | summīs | summīs |
| vocative | summī | summae | summa |
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- summo loco natus
- of high rank.
- ad summum perducere
- to bring to the highest perfection.
- opus summo artificio factum
- a master-piece of classical work.
- summo ingenio praeditum esse
- to possess rich mental endowments.
- summum bonum in virtute ponere
- to consider virtue the highest good.
- summo colore aliquid illustrare
- to depict a thing in lively colours.
- summo studio in litteris versari
- to be an ardent student of...
- res in summo discrimine versatur
- the position is very critical.
6 more phrases
- summi (et) infimi (Rep. 1. 34. 53)
- high and low.
- ad perfectionem, (ad summum) pervenire
- to attain perfection.
- res est in periculo, in summo discrimine
- the position is critical.
- ad summos honores pervenire (cf. also sect. V. 17)
- to attain to the highest offices.
- uno, communi, summo or omnium consensu (Tusc. 1. 15. 35)
- unanimously.
- summo iure agere cum aliquo (cf. summum ius, summa iniuria)
- to proceed against some one with the utmost rigour of the law; to strain the law in one's favour.
summus, a, um, adj., v. superus.
Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
summus adj. sup.
for * supimus; superus, uppermost, highest, topmost : summis saxis fixus: iugum montis, Cs.: summa cacumina linquunt, V.: Summus ego (in triclinio) et prope me Viscus, etc., at the top , H.—As subst m., he who sits in the highest place, the head of the table : sermo, qui more maiorum a summo adhibetur, by the head of the table .—Partitive, the top of, highest part of, summit of : summus mons, the top of , Cs.: feriunt summos Fulgura montīs, mountain-tops , H.: in summā sacrā viā, on the highest part of : Ianus summus ab imo, H.: summam aquam attingere, C. poët.: mari summo, V.—As subst n., the top, surface, highest place, head : ab eius (frontis) summo rami diffunduntur, Cs.: non longe abesse a summo.—Of the voice, highest, loudest : summā voce, at the top of his voice , C., H.—Fig., of time or order, last, latest, final, extreme : Venit summa dies, V.: esse summā senectute.—Partitive, the last of, end of : Summo carmine, H.—Of rank or degree, highest, greatest, loftiest, first, supreme, best, utmost, extreme : timor: fides, constantia iustitiaque: bonum: summo magistratui praeesse, Cs.: concedunt in uno Cn. Pompeio summa esse omnia: scelus, S.: hiemps, the depths of winter : homines: amicus, the best friend , T.: summo rei p. tempore, at a most critical juncture : res p., the general welfare : ad summam rem p., L.: Quo res summa loco, Panthu? the general cause , V.: Mene socium summis adiungere rebus, in momentous enterprises , V.: agere summo iure tecum, deal exactingly .
Origins
From Proto-Italic *supemos, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)úp-m̥mo-s, from *upó + *-m̥mo-. Cognate with Proto-Germanic *ufumô, Sanskrit उपम (upamá, “uppermost”). See also suprēmus and -issimus.
Inherited
- Italiansommo
- Catalansom
- Spanishsomo
- Asturiansomu
Borrowed
- Catalansumme
- Portuguesesumo
- Spanishsumo
- Asturiansumu
In English words that came into English from summus
- summitsummum
- sumsumma
- summitysummitas