humilis

Latin

Etymology

From humus +‎ -ilis. The resemblance to Ancient Greek χθαμαλός (khthamalós) is cognate, but probably accidental, and not sufficient to assume a direct inheritance from Proto-Indo-European *dʰǵʰemelo- (a derivative from *dʰéǵʰōm (“earth”)).

Pronunciation

(Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈhu.mi.lis/, [ˈhʊmɪlʲɪs̠]

(Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈu.mi.lis/, [ˈuːmilis]

Adjective

humilis (neuter humile, comparative humilior, superlative humillimus, adverb humiliter); third-declension two-termination adjective

low, lowly, small, slight; shallow
(in respect to birth, fortune or worth) base, mean, humble, obscure, poor, needy, insignificant, low
Synonyms: ignōbilis, modicus, dēmissus
(of physical stature) short, not tall
(of mind or character) submissive, abject; (post-Classical) humble
(of language) mean, without elevation

Declension

Third-declension two-termination adjective.

Case / Gender	Masc./Fem.	Neuter	Masc./Fem.	Neuter
Number	Singular		Plural
Nominative	humilis	humile	humilēs	humilia
Genitive	humilis		humilium
Dative	humilī		humilibus
Accusative	humilem	humile	humilēs humilīs	humilia
Ablative	humilī		humilibus
Vocative	humilis	humile	humilēs	humilia

Derived terms

humile
humiliātiō
humilificō
humiliō
humilitās
humiliter
humilitō

Related terms

humātiō
humātor
humī
humō
humus

Descendants

Catalan: humil
Old Franco-Provençal: humil
- Franco-Provençal: humil
Old French: humble, umble
- → English: humble
- French: humble
Galician: humilde
→ Old Irish: umal
- Irish: umhal
- Scottish Gaelic: ùmhal
Italian: umile
Occitan: umil
Portuguese: húmil, húmile, humilde
Romanian: umil
Spanish: humil, humilde
→ Proto-Brythonic: *uβ̃ɨl
- Middle Breton: uuel, vuhel
  - Breton: uvel
- Old Cornish: huuel
  - Cornish: uvel, huvel
- Middle Welsh: ufyl
  - Welsh: ufyl, ufyll
Translingual: Chrysojasminum humile (syn. Jasminum humile)

References

“humilis”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
“humilis”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
humilis 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)
Carl Meißner; Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎, London: Macmillan and Co.
- to study the commonplace: cogitationes in res humiles abicere (De Amic. 9. 32) (Opp. alte spectare, ad altiora tendere, altum, magnificum, divinum suspicere)
- to be cast down, discouraged, in despair: animo esse humili, demisso (more strongly animo esse fracto, perculso et abiecto) (Att. 3. 2)
- of humble, obscure origin: humili, obscuro loco natus
- of humble, obscure origin: humilibus (obscuris) parentibus natus
humilis in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette
Souter, Alexander (1949), “humilis”, in A Glossary of Later Latin to 600 A.D., 1st edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press, published 1957, page 177
De Vaan, Michiel (2008), “humus”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 292