genu

genu

See also: ĝenu

English

Etymology

PIE word
*ǵónu

Borrowed from Latin genu (“knee”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒɛn.juː/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒiˌnu/, /ˈd͡ʒɛn.(j)u/
• Rhymes: -ɛnjuː

Noun

genu (plural genua)

1. (anatomy, zootomy) The knee.

   Hyponyms: genu valgum, genu varum

   1. A knee-like structure, in particular a bend in the corpus callosum of mammals.

Derived terms

• genual
• genu-

Related terms

• geniculate

References

• “genu”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “genu”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

Anagrams

• Egun

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Latin

Alternative forms

• genum, genus

Etymology

PIE word
*ǵónu

From Proto-Italic *genu, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵónu. Cognate with Ancient Greek γόνῠ (gónu, “knee; plant node”), German Knie, English knee.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈɡe.nuː/, [ˈɡɛnuː] or IPA^(key): /ˈɡe.nu/, [ˈɡɛnʊ]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒe.nu/, [ˈd͡ʒɛːnu]

• Audio (Classical)

  (file)

• Note: the nominative/accusative ending vowel of 4th declension neuters is etymologically expected to be short, and is stated to be so by late grammarians. A long vowel would also be expected to be subject to iambic shortening in most forms. There are only two passages that conclusively require a long scansion.[1][2][3][4]

Noun

genū n (genitive genūs); fourth declension

1. (literally, anatomy) a knee, kneejoint, kneepan
   1. an act of kneeling or beseeching
   2. an elbow
2. (transferred sense, botany) a knot, joint

   Synonym: geniculum

Inflection

Fourth-declension noun (neuter).

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	genū	genua
Genitive	genūs	genuum
Dative	genū	genibus
Accusative	genū	genua
Ablative	genū	genibus
Vocative	genū	genua

A rare genitive singular form genoris is attested epigraphically.[5][6]

• 1910, Ernst Diehl, editor, Vulgärlateinische Inschriften, Bonn, page 98 f:

  testor nunc superōs: nōn hoc meruisse vidēbar
  in volnus genoris quot subitō occidimus.

  I bear witness before the Gods that I don't think I was deserving
  to have a sudden harm befall my knee

Derived terms

• geniculum
• genuflecto

Descendants

• Portuguese: geio (“terrace”)[7] (Trás-os-Montes)

References

• “genu”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press

1. Weiss, Michael L. (2009) Outline of the Historical and Comparative Grammar of Latin‎, Ann Arbor: Beech Stave Press, →ISBN, § I D footnote 11, page 252
2. Vergil, Aeneid 11.859 and Pseudo-Ovid, Nux 106
3. Diomedis artis grammaticae libri III in Keil H., CGL I, p. 309, 3: "bipertita est quae alterna casuum productione et correptione uariatur, ut genu, cornu, gelu. haec enim duobus modis tantum in declinatione uariantur, quod quidem productione et correptione distinguimus. nam in nominatiuo accusatiuo uocatiuo correpta u proferuntur, in genetiuo datiuo ablatiuo producta.
4. Flavii Sosipatri Charisii artis grammaticae libri V in Keil H., CGL I, 150, 36: "biperita forma est quae in neutralibus nominibus u littera finitis est, <in> quibus nominatiuus et accusatiuus sociantur, ut genu, ueru; genetiuum, datiuum, ablatiuum segregat ab his productio."
5. Peter Stotz (1998) Handbuch zur lateinischen Sprache des Mittelalters. Vierter Band: Formenlehre, Syntax und Stilistik, page 45: “In einem inschriftlichen Gedicht der Antike erscheint die Gen.-Form genoris zu genu”
   Peter Stotz (1998) Handbuch zur lateinischen Sprache des Mittelalters. Vierter Band: Formenlehre, Syntax und Stilistik, page 103: “die Gen. sg.-Form genoris zu genu”
6. Hieronymus Geist (collector and translator); Gerhard Pfohl (advisor) (1976) Römische Grabinschriften. Gesammelt und ins Deutsche übertragen, 2nd edition, page 193f
7. Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002), “genŭcŭlum”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German), volume 4: G H I, page 115

Further reading

• “genu”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• genu in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• genu in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette
• Carl Meißner; Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎, London: Macmillan and Co.
  • (ambiguous) the male, female sex: sexus (not genus) virilis, muliebris
    
  • (ambiguous) to choose a career, profession: genus vitae (vivendi) or aetatis degendae deligere
    
  • (ambiguous) to analyse a general division into its specific parts: genus universum in species certas partiri et dividere (Or. 33. 117)
    
  • (ambiguous) to transplant to Rome one of the branches of poesy: poesis genus ad Romanos transferre
    
  • (ambiguous) style: genus dicendi (scribendi); oratio
    
  • (ambiguous) elevated, moderate, plain style: genus dicendi grave or grande, medium, tenue (cf. Or. 5. 20; 6. 21)
    
  • (ambiguous) a running style: fusum orationis genus
    
  • (ambiguous) a rough, unpolished style: inconditum dicendi genus (Brut. 69. 242)
    
  • (ambiguous) a bombastic style: inflatum orationis genus
    
  • (ambiguous) to adopt the language of everyday life: accedere ad cotidiani sermonis genus