LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · neutersecond declension

vōtum

vōtum n (genitive vōtī)
Classical[ˈwoː.tũː]Ecclesiastical[ˈvɔː.tum]
№ 334 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. promise, dedication, vow, solemn pledge
  2. determination, will, desire
  3. prayer, devotion

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

quod deīs prōmittimus, sī nōs iuvābunt; vōta solvimus.
vōtum -ī n — in Mille Verba, Deī et Sacra

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativevōtumvōta
genitivevōtīvōtōrum
dativevōtōvōtīs
accusativevōtumvōta
ablativevōtōvōtīs
vocativevōtumvōta

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

voti damnari, compotem fieri
to have to pay a vow; to obtain one's wish.
vota solvere, persolvere, reddere
to accomplish, pay a vow.
vota facere, nuncupare, suscipere, concipere
to make a vow.
aliquem proficiscentem votis ominibusque prosequi (vid. sect. VI. 11, note Prosequi...)
to wish any one a prosperous journey.

vōtum, i, n. voveo.
A. (Acc. to voveo, I.) A solemn promise made to some deity, a vow (freq. and class.; esp. in plur.): qui (deus) numquam nobis occurrit neque in optatis neque in votis, Cic. N. D. 1, 14, 36: nefaria vota, id. Clu. 68, 194: nonne animadvertis ex tot tabulis pictis, quam multi votis vim tempestatis effugerint? id. N. D. 3, 37, 89: voto et promisso teneri, id. Att. 12, 18, 1: obstrictum esse religione voti, id. ib. 12, 43, 2: obligari voti sponsione deo, id. Leg. 2, 16, 41: cum de illo aegroto vota faciebant, id. Att. 8, 16, 1: vota facere, id. Fam. 7, 2, 4; id. Mil. 15, 41; id. Tusc. 5, 1, 2 al.: nuncupare, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 13, § 34: suscipere, id. N. D. 3, 39, 93: concipere, Ov. M. 7, 594; Liv. 5, 25, 7: debere diis, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 55, § 123: solvere, id. Phil. 3, 4, 11: reddere, id. Leg. 2, 9, 22: Jovi reddere, Ov. Tr. 3, 12, 46: suscipere et solvere, Plin. Ep. 10, 35 (44): persolvere, id. ib. 10, 100 (101): voto se exsolvere, Petr. 85: exsequi, Verg. A. 5, 53: voti damnari, i. e. to obtain one's prayer or wish Liv. 5, 25, 4; 7, 28, 4; 27, 45, 8; v. Zumpt, Gram. § 447 fin.: voti reus, Verg. A. 5, 237: voti liberari, Liv. 5, 28, 1.—
2. Transf.
a. A thing solemnly promised, that which is vowed or devoted, a votive offering (mostly poet.): lustramurque Jovi, votisque incendimus aras, with burnt-offerings, Verg. A. 3, 279: Danai in voto (i. e. equo Trojano) latent, Petr. 89; cf.: iste ... de bonis illius in aede Veneris argenteum Cupidinem posuit. Sic etiam fortunis hominum abutebatur ad nocturna vota cupiditatum suarum, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 54, § 142.—
b. Vota, a day on which vows were made for the good of the State (post-class.), Capitol. Pert. 6; Vop. Tac. 9; cf. Dig. 50, 16, 233, § 1.—
B. Transf.
1. (Acc. to voveo, II.) A wish, desire, longing, prayer (perh not ante-Aug.): ea esse vota, eam esse voluntatem omnium, ut, etc., Liv. 2, 15, 3: ejus me compotem voti facere vos potestis, id. 7, 40, 6: quoniam res Romana contra spem votaque ejus velut resurgeret, id. 24, 45, 3; 35, 42, 5: quod omnibus votis petendum erat, id. 32, 21, 35: magnarum cogitationum, Petr. 115: audivere di mea vota, Hor. C. 4, 13, 1: haec loca sunt voto fertiliora tuo, Ov. A. A. 1, 90; id. Tr. 1, 2, 1: votum in amante novum, id. M. 3, 468: voti potens, id. ib. 8, 80: quod omnium sit votum parentum, ut, etc., Quint. 11, 1, 82: vota parentium, id. 1, 2, 25: id enim voto meo sufficit; illud supra votum, etc., Plin. Ep. 5, 8, 3: Darius votum meum implevit, Curt. 4, 13, 24; 4, 13, 8; Sen. Polyb. 10, 6: cunctis super vota fluentibus, Tac. H. 3, 48; Sen. Ben. 6, 30, 1: votum aliquem confodiendi, Suet. Aug. 51; cf. id. ib. 58: hoc erat in votis: modus agri non ita magnus, Hor. S. 2, 6, 1: esse in voto, Pers. 3, 48; cf.: sed hoc votum est et rara felicitas, is rather a thing to be wished, Quint. 12, 5, 6 Spald.; so, votum est, ut, etc., it is to be wished that, etc., Cels. 6, 6, 1: an venit in votum Attalicis ex urbibus una? Hor. Ep. 1, 11, 5: non sine votis: O rus, quando ego te aspiciam? id. S. 2, 6, 59. —Of inanimate things: alioquin vota arborum frugumque communia sunt nivis diutinas sedere, Plin. 17, 2, 2, § 14.—
2. A marriage vow, matrimonial engagement, marriage (post-class.): ad tertia vota migrare, Cod. Just. 5, 9, 4; 5, 5, 24; 5, 1, 2: nuptualia, App. M. 4, p. 154, 18; id. Flor. p. 342, 27.

Origins

Nominalization of vōtus.

Borrowings
  • Catalanvot
  • Englishvotefrom Middle English vote
  • Frenchvotefrom Middle English vote
  • Romanianvotfrom Middle English vote
  • GermanVotum
  • Portuguesevoto
  • Romanianvotum
  • Spanishvoto
  • Asturianvotu
  • Haitian Creolevòtfrom Middle English vote
Gallo-Romance
  • Catalanvot
  • Catalanboda
  • Occitanvòt
  • Frenchvœufrom Old French vut
  • Englishvowfrom Old French vut
Ibero-Romance
  • Portuguesebodafrom Old Galician-Portuguese voda
  • Portuguesebodasfrom Old Galician-Portuguese voda
  • Portuguesebodofrom Old Galician-Portuguese voda
  • Spanishbodafrom Old Spanish boda
  • Aragoneseboda
  • Old Leonesealuodo
  • Asturianbodafrom Old Leonese boda
  • Falabodafrom Old Galician-Portuguese voda
  • Galicianvodafrom Old Galician-Portuguese voda
  • Ladinobodafrom Old Spanish boda
Italo-Romance
  • Italianvoto
  • Italianboto
  • Sicilianvutu
  • Sicilianvotu
Gallo-Italic
  • Piedmontesevut

In English words that came into English from vōtum

  • votevōtum
  • vowvōtum
  • votivevōtīvus

Quick answers

What does vōtum mean in Latin?
vōtum, a noun, means “promise, dedication, vow, solemn pledge; determination, will, desire; prayer, devotion”.
What is the genitive of vōtum?
The genitive singular is vōtī. vōtum is neuter, second declension.
How do you pronounce vōtum?
In classical Latin, [ˈwoː.tũː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈvɔː.tum].
Which English words come from vōtum?
English words that go back to Latin vōtum include vote, vow and votive.