adjectivethird-declension two-termination adjective
tenuis
tenuis (neuter tenue, comparative tenuïor, superlative tenuissimus, adverb tenuiter)
Classical[ˈtɛ.nu.ɪs]Ecclesiastical[ˈtɛː.nu.is]
Mille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- two terminationthin, slender, slim, lank; especially
Ut lea saeva sitim multa conpescuit unda, dum redit in silvas, inventos forte sine ipsa ore cruentato tenues laniavit amictus.
8 CE, Ovidius, Metamorphoses 4.104 - two terminationsynonym of mānēs, the manes
Nunc animae tenuēs et corpora fūncta sepulcrīs errant, […]
1851 translation by Henry T. Riley, The Fasti &c of Ovid., London: H. G. Bohn, p. 71-72 Now phantom spirits wander abroad, and bodies that have been committed to the tombs, […]8 CE, Ovidius, Fasti 2.565–566 - two terminationfine, rare, thin; pure, clear, not coarse
Quod superest, quaecumque premes virgulta per agros, Sparge fimo pingui et multa memor occule terra, Aut lapidem bibulum aut squalentis infode conchas; Inter enim labentur aquae tenuisque subibit Halitus atque animos tollent sata; iamque reperti, Qui saxo super atque ingentis pondere testae Urgerent; hoc effusos munimen ad imbris,
Translation by James B. Greenough For the rest, whate'er The sets thou plantest in thy fields, thereon Strew refuse rich, and with abundant earth Take heed to hide them, and dig in withal Rough shells or porous stone, for therebetween Will water trickle and fine vapour creep, And so the plants their drooping spirits raise. Aye, and there have been, who with weight of stone Or heavy potsherd press them from above; This serves for shield in pelting showers, and this When the hot dog-star chaps the fields with drought.c. 37 BCE – 30 BCE, Vergilius, Georgicon 2.346–353 - two terminationweak, feeble, tenuous
Ipse Cicero, cum tenuissima valetudine esset, ne nocturnum quidem sibi tempus ad quietem relinquebat, ut ultro militum concursu ac vocibus sibi parcere cogeretur.
c. 52 BCE, Julius Caesar, Commentarii de bello Gallico 5.40 - two terminationlittle, slight, trifling
Bidis oppidum est tenue sane, non longe a Syracusis.
70 BCE, Cicero, In Verrem 2.2.53 - two terminationdelicate, subtle
'Infinita' inquit 'praecepta sunt.' Falsum est; nam de maximis ac necessariis rebus non sunt infinita; tenues autem differentias habent quas exigunt tempora, loca, personae, sed his quoque dantur praecepta generalia.
c. 65 CE, Seneca Minor, Epistulae morales ad Lucilium Liber XIV - XV.XCIV.35
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
valdē angustus et levis; lignum tenue.tenuis -e — in Mille Verba, Nāvāle
exiguus, parvustenuis -e — in IVLIANVS I: Gallia, ch. 14
Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms
Exilis · Macer · Gracilis · Tenuis
Exilis and macer denote leanness, with reference to the interior substance and with absolute blame, as a consequence of want of sap, and of shrivelling; exilis (from egere, exiguus,) generally as applicable to any material body, and as poverty and weakness, in opp. to uber, Cic. Or. i. 12; macer (μακρός, meagre,) especially to animal bodies, as dryness, in opp. to pinguis, Virg. Ecl. iii. 100; whereas gracilis and tenuis, with reference to the exterior form, indifferently or with praise; tenuis (τανύς, thin), as approaching to the notion of delicate, and as a general term, applicable to all bodies, in opp. to crassus, Cic. Fat. 4. Vitruv. iv. 4; but gracilis as approaching to the notion of tall, procerus, and especially as applicable to animal bodies, like slender, in opp. to opimus, Cic. Brut. 91; obesus, Cels. i. 3, 30. ii. 1. Suet. Dom. 18. (v. 25.)
Declension
| form | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | tenuis | tenuis | tenue |
| genitive | tenuis | tenuis | tenuis |
| dative | tenuī | tenuī | tenuī |
| accusative | tenuem | tenuem | tenue |
| ablative | tenuī | tenuī | tenuī |
| vocative | tenuis | tenuis | tenue |
| form | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | tenuēs | tenuēs | tenuïa |
| genitive | tenuïum | tenuïum | tenuïum |
| dative | tenuibus | tenuibus | tenuibus |
| accusative | tenuīs tenuēs | tenuīs tenuēs | tenuïa |
| ablative | tenuibus | tenuibus | tenuibus |
| vocative | tenuēs | tenuēs | tenuïa |
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- pecunia exigua or tenuis
- little money.
- suspicio tenuissima, minima
- the faintest suspicion.
- victus tenuis (Fin. 2. 28. 90)
- meagre diet.
- genus dicendi grave or grande, medium, tenue (cf. Or. 5. 20; 6. 21)
- elevated, moderate, plain style.
tĕnŭis, e (in the poets also as dissyl. tēnuis, and hence sometimes written ten-vis, Lucr. 1, 875; 2, 232; 3, 232 al.; cf.
I.
tenuia and tenuius, trisyl., id. 4, 66; 4, 808; 3, 243, v. Carey, Lat. Prosody, § 47), adj. root in Sanscr. tanu; ten., Gr. τείνω; prop. stretched out, drawn out; v. teneo; hence, thin, fine, close, etc. (syn.: gracilis, exilis). I. Lit.
1. Of texture, fine, thin:
subtemen, Plaut. Merc. 3, 1, 20: vestes, Tib. 2, 3, 53: vestes, Ov. A. A. 3, 707: amictus, id. M. 4, 104: togae, Hor. Ep. 1, 14, 32: toga filo tenuissima, Ov. A. A. 3, 445: tunicae, id. F. 2, 319: natura oculos membranis tenuissimis vestivit et saepsit, Cic. N. D. 2, 57, 142: pellis, Ov. A. A. 3, 77: arietes tenuioris velleris, Col. 7, 2, 5.—2. Of substance, thin, rare, fine:
tenue caelum (opp. crassum), Cic. Fat. 4, 7; so, tenue purumque caelum, id. Div. 1, 57, 130: aër, rare (with purus), id. N. D. 2, 16, 42; cf.: aethereus locus tenuissimus est, id. ib. 2, 15, 42: capilli, Ov. Am. 1, 14, 5: comae, Tib. 1, 9, 68: rima, Ov. M. 4, 65: vinum, thin, watery, Plin. 14, 9, 11, § 80; 15, 28, 33, § 110; 23, 1, 22, § 39: aqua, clear, Ov. F. 2, 250; cf. sanguis (opp. crassus), Plin. 11, 38, 90, § 221: agmen (militum), Liv. 25, 23, 16: acies, Tac. A. 1, 64; cf. pluviae, Verg. G. 1, 92.—3. Of form, slim, thin, lank, slender, fine:
penna, Hor. C. 2, 20, 1: cauda (piscis), Ov. M. 4, 726: acus, id. Am. 3, 7, 30: tabellae, Mart. 14, 3, 1: nitedula, thin, lank, meagre, Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 29; cf.: canes macie tenues, Nemes. Cyn. 137: Gellius, Cat. 89, 1: Thais, Mart. 11, 101, 1: umbra (defuncti), Tib. 3, 2, 9; cf.: animae (defunctorum), Ov. M. 14, 411; id. F. 2, 565. —4. Of sounds, weak, thin: vox, Pompon. ap. Macr. S. 6, 4, 12 (Com. Rel. v. 59 Rib.); Quint. 11, 3, 32. —
B. Transf., in gen., little, slight, trifling, poor, mean, etc.:
oppidum tenue sane, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 22, § 53; cf.: magnae quondam urbis tenue vestigium, Plin. 3, 4, 5, § 32: murus, Cic. Rep. 4, 4, 4: amnis, Plin. 3, 5, 9, § 53: aqua, shallow, Liv. 1, 4, 6; Ov. F. 2, 250; Quint. 12, 2, 11: rivulus, Cic. Rep. 2, 19, 34: sulcus, Verg. G. 1, 68: foramen, Plin. 16, 36, 66, § 165: intervallum, id. 31, 2, 2, § 4: insignis tenui fronte Lycoris, Hor. C. 1, 33, 5: tenuem victum antefert copioso, Cic. Tusc. 3, 20, 49; so, victus, id. Fin. 2, 28, 90; id. Lael. 23, 86; Hor. S. 2, 2, 53: mensa, id. C. 2, 16, 14: cibus, Phaedr. 4, 13, 7: tenuissimum patrimonium, Auct. Her. 4, 38, 50: opes, Cic. Quint. 1, 2: res (familiaris), Hor. Ep. 1, 20, 20; cf. census, id. ib. 1, 7, 56: honores, Nep. Milt. 6, 2: praeda, Caes. B. G. 6, 35: tenuissimum lumen, Cic. N. D. 2, 19, 50: pumex, i. e. light, Prop. 3 (4), 1, 8. — Transf., of poor persons: tenuis (opp. locuples), Cic. Off. 2, 20, 70: servus sit an liber, pecuniosus an tenuis, id. Inv. 1, 25, 35: fortunae constitui tenuiorum videbantur, id. Sest. 48, 103; cf.: locupletissimi cujusque census extenuarant, tenuissimi auxerant, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 55, § 138: tenuis et obaeratus, Suet. Caes. 46: Regulus, Plin. Ep. 2, 20, 13.—With gen.: tenuis opum, Sil. 6, 19.—II. Trop.
A. Fine, nice, delicate, subtle, exact (syn.:
elegans, subtilis): tenuis et acuta distinctio, Cic. Ac. 2, 14, 43; cf.: tenues autem differentias (praecepta) habent, Sen. Ep. 94, 35: (oratores) tenues, acuti, Cic. Or. 5, 20; so, orator, id. ib. 24, 81; Quint. 12, 10, 21: aures, Lucr. 4, 913: cura, Ov. P. 4, 6, 37: Athenae, elegant, Mart. 6, 64, 17: rationes latiore specie, non ad tenue limatae, Cic. Ac. 2, 20, 66: textum dicendi, Quint. 10, 1, 64.— Subst.: tĕnŭe, is, n., that which is subtle (opp. comprehensibile), Lact. 7, 4, 12.—B. Transf. (acc. to I. B.), weak, trifling, insignificant, mean, low:
cum tenuissimā valetudine esset, weak, feeble, delicate, Caes. B. G. 5, 40: tenuis atque infirmus animus, id. B. C. 1, 32: ingenium (opp. forte), Quint. 10, 2, 19: tenuis et angusta ingeni vena, id. 6, 2, 3: tenuis exsanguisque sermo, Cic. de Or. 1, 13, 57; Quint. 8, 3, 18: in ininimis tenuissimisque rebus labi, Cic. de Or. 1, 37, 169: tenuissimarum rerum jura, id. Caecin. 12, 34: artificium perquam tenue et leve, id. de Or. 1, 28, 129: grammatica, ars tenuis ac jejuna, Quint. 1, 4, 5: inanis et tenuis spes, Cic. Rosc. Com. 14, 43; cf.: spes tenuior, id. Att. 3, 19, 2: suspitio, id. Caecin. 15, 43: causa tenuis et inops, id. Fam. 9, 12, 2: curae, Verg. G. 1, 177: gloria, id. ib. 4, 6: damnum, Tac. A. 12, 39: negotia paulo ad dicendum tenuiora, Quint. 12, 9, 8: nec sua plus debet tenui Verona Catullo, i. e. to the author of trifling, amorous lays, Mart. 10, 103, 5; v. tenuo, II. — 2. Esp., of rank, standing, etc., low, inferior, common:
tenuiores, men of lower rank, the lower orders, Cic. Leg. 3, 10, 24; cf.: tenuis L. Virginius unusque de multis, id. Fin. 2, 20, 66: tenuissimus quisque, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 47, § 123: homines, id. Mur. 34, 70; cf.: commoti animi tenuiorum, id. ib. 23, 47: si obscuri erunt aut tenues, id. Part. Or. 34, 117: qui tenuioris ordinis essent, id. Leg. 3, 13, 30: adulescentes tenui loco orti, Liv. 2, 3, 2. — Hence, adv.: tĕnŭĭter. 1. Lit.
a. Thinly:
alutae tenuiter confectae, Caes. B. G. 3, 13.—b. Indifferently, poorly: Da. Quid rei gerit? Ge. Sic, tenuiter. Da. Non multum habet, Quod det, etc., Ter. Phorm. 1, 2, 95.—
2. Trop.
a. Finely, acutely, exactly, subtilely:
tenuiter disserere, Cic. Or. 14, 46: tenuiter multa, multa sublimiter tenere, Plin. Ep. 4, 27, 1: scribere (with argute), id. ib. 6, 21, 4: tenuiter et argute multa disserit, Gell. 6, 2, 6.—Comp.: illae (argumentationes) tenuius et acutius et subtilius tractantur, Cic. Inv. 2, 16, 51.—b. Lightly, slightly, superficially:
mihi nimium tenuiter Siculorum erga te voluntatis argumenta colligere videor, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 65, § 157; Auct. Her. 3, 8, 15; 4, 36, 48.— Sup.: tenuissime aestimare, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 16, § 35.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
tenuis e, adj. with comp. tenuior and sup. tenuissimus
2 TA-, drawn out, meagre, slim, thin, lank, slender : Pinna, H.: acus, fine , O.: avena, V.: animae (defunctorum), O.—Of texture, thin, fine, close : vestes, O.: togae, H.: toga filo tenuissima, O.: natura oculos membranis tenuissimis saepsit.—Of substance, thin, rare, fine, slight : caelum: athereus locus tenuissimus est: agmen (militum), L.— Little, slight, trifling, inconsiderable, insignificant, poor, mean : oppidum: aqua, shallow , L.: tenuem fontibus adfer aquam, i. e. a little water , O.: sulcus, V.: Insignis tenui fronte Lycoris, low , H.: semita, narrow , V.: cibus, Ph.: opes: census, H.: praeda, Cs.: tenuissimum lumen: ventus, a breeze , V.—Of persons, poor : servus sit an liber, pecuniosus an tenuis.— Plur m . as subst: tenuīs praemio, stultos errore permovit: fortunae constitui tenuiorum videbantur: cuiusque censum tenuissimi auxerant.—Fig., fine, nice, delicate, subtle, exact : distinctio: cura, O.: rationes non ad tenue elimatae.— Weak, trifling, insignificant, mean, poor, slight : tenuissima valetudo, delicate , Cs.: sermo: in tenuissimis rebus labi: artificium: spes tenuior: curae, V.— Low in rank, mean, inferior, common : tenuiores, the lower orders : tenuis L. Virginius unusque de multis: tenuissimus quisque: adulescentes tenui loco orti, L.
Origins
- Proto-Indo-European*ten-der.?
- Proto-Indo-European*tenh₂-
- Proto-Indo-European*ténh₂us
- Proto-Italic*tən(a)us
- Latintenuis
From Proto-Italic *tən(a)us, from Proto-Indo-European *ténh₂us (“thin”). Original u-stem adjectives are regularly extended into i-stems in Latin, compare gravis, brevis, dulcis, etc.
Descendants
- Catalantènue
- Frenchténu
- Italiantenue
- Occitanteune
- Spanishtenue
- Englishtenuis
- Englishtenuious
- Englishtenuous
- GermanTenuis
- Portugueseténue
In English words that came into English from tenuis
- attenuateattenuātus
- tenuoustenuis
- extenuateextenuātus
- extenuatingex
- tenuitytenuitas
- tenuistenuis
- attenuantattenuans
- tenuioustenuis
- tenuatetenuatus
- tenuifolioustenuifolius