LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · neutersecond declension

tignum

tignum n (genitive tignī)
Classical[ˈtɪŋ.nũː]Ecclesiastical[ˈtiɲ.ɲum]

Meaning

  1. neuterbuilding stuff, lumber
  2. neutertree trunk
  3. neuterlog
  4. neuterbeam

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

lignum magnum, quod tēctum sustinet
tignum -ī (n) — in Metamorphoses I, ch. 16

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Trabes · Tignum

Trabes, trabs (τράφηξ) denotes a longer and narrower beam, like a pole; tignum, a shorter and thicker beam, like a block. A raft consists of trabes, not of tigna; whereas the wood-work of a building, which, as a pillar, is destined to support something, is composed of tigna, not of trabes, by which the cross-beams only are denoted. Cæs. B. Civ. ii. 9. Supra eum locum duo tigna transversa injecerunt, quibus suspenderent eam contignationem supraque ea tigna directo transversas trabes injecerunt easque axibus religaverunt. (v. 290.)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativetignumtigna
genitivetignītignōrum
dativetignōtignīs
accusativetignumtigna
ablativetignōtignīs
vocativetignumtigna

tignum, i, n. (
I. masc. collat. form, plur. tigni, Liv. 44, 5, 4; but Weissenb. reads tigno) [root tek-; Gr. ἔτεκον, τίκτω, whence τέχνη, τέκτων, texo], building-stuff, building-materials (syn. trabs).
I. In gen. (ante-class. and in jurid. lang.): tigni appellatione in lege duodecim tabularum omne genus materiae, ex quā aedificia constant, significatur, Dig. 50, 16, 62; cf.: tigni autem appellatione continetur omnis materia, ex quā aedificium constat vineaeque necessaria. Unde quidam aiunt, tegulam quoque et lapidem et testam ceteraque, si qua aedificiis sunt utilia (tigna enim a tegendo dicta sunt) hoc amplius et calcem et harenam tignorum appellatione contineri, ib. 47, 3 (de tigno juncto), 1.—
II. In partic., a piece or stick of timber, a trunk of a tree, a log, beam (class.): venit imber ... Tigna putrefacit, Plaut. Most. 1, 2, 31: tigna trabesque, Lucr. 2, 192; so, with trabes, id. 6, 241: supra eum locum duo tigna transversa injecerunt, Caes. B. C. 2, 9: et levia radere tigna Et terebrare etiam ac pertundere perque forare, Lucr. 5, 1266: tigna bina sesquipedalia in flumen defixerat, Caes. B. G. 4, 17; cf. id. B. C. 2, 10; 2, 15: torquet ingens machina tignum, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 73; id. A. P. 279: summo quae pendet aranea tigno, Ov. M. 4, 179; 8, 648; Sen. Ep. 120, 7: cava, i. e. ships, Prop. 4 (5), 6, 50.

Origins

From Proto-Italic *tegnom, from Proto-Indo-European *teg-nom, from *(s)teg- (“beam, stake”). Cognate with English stack and stake.

Descendants
  • Italiantigno

Quick answers

What does tignum mean in Latin?
tignum, a noun, means “building stuff, lumber; tree trunk; log”.
What is the genitive of tignum?
The genitive singular is tignī. tignum is neuter, second declension.
How do you pronounce tignum?
In classical Latin, [ˈtɪŋ.nũː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈtiɲ.ɲum].