mens

See also: men's

English

Noun

mens

Misspelling of men's.

Noun

mens

(nonstandard, African-American Vernacular) Alternative form of men (“plural of man”)

Noun

mens

(Philippines, biology, colloquial) Clipping of menstruation.

Anagrams

NEMS, nems

Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch mens, from Middle Dutch mensche, from Old Dutch mennisko, from Proto-Germanic *manniskaz.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /mɛns/
Audio (file)

Noun

mens (plural mense)

person; human being

Pronoun

mens

one (indefinite pronoun)
Synonym: 'n mens

Danish

Alternative forms

(dated) medens

Etymology

From Old Norse meðan.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /mɛns/, [mens̺]

Conjunction

mens

while (during the same time that)
while (although)
whereas

Related terms

imens

References

“mens” in Den Danske Ordbog

Dutch

Alternative forms

mensch (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle Dutch mensche, from Old Dutch mennisko, a substantivised form of the adjective *mennisk (“human, humanlike”), from Proto-Germanic *manniskaz.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /mɛns/
audio (file)
Hyphenation: mens
Rhymes: -ɛns

Noun

mens m (plural mensen, diminutive mensje n)

human, any member of the species Homo sapiens
De mens is van nature een politiek dier.
Man is by nature a political animal.
Ik ben ook maar een mens!
I'm only human!
person

Synonyms

(person): persoon

Derived terms

aapmens
binnenmens
buitenmens
dorpsmens
godmens
goedmens
halfmens
manmens
medemens
mensbeeld
mensdom
menselijk
menselijkheid
menseneter
mensenhandel
mensenmens
mensensmokkel
mensheid
mensonterend
menswaardig
natuurmens
oermens
onmens
paardmens
stadsmens
tussenmens
vrouwmens

Descendants

Afrikaans: mens
Negerhollands: mensch, mens
Skepi Creole Dutch: mens

Noun

mens n (plural mensen, diminutive mensje n)

(informal, derogatory) woman
Dat mens werkt me echt op de zenuwen.
That woman really annoys me.

Synonyms

(woman): secreet, wijf

French

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /mɑ̃/
Audio (CAN) (file)

Verb

mens

inflection of mentir:
1. first/second-person singular present indicative
2. second-person singular imperative

Ladin

Alternative forms

mëns, meis

Etymology

From Latin mensis.

Noun

mens m (plural mensc)

month

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *mentis, from Proto-Indo-European *méntis (“thought”). Cognate with Sanskrit मति (matí), αὐτόματος (autómatos), μάντις (mántis), Russian мнить (mnitʹ, “to think”), Old English ġemynd (whence English mind).

Pronunciation

(Classical) IPA^(key): /mens/, [mẽːs̠]

(Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /mens/, [mɛns]

Noun

mēns f (genitive mentis); third declension

mind
intellect, reason
reasoning, judgement
heart, conscience (seat of the thoughts and will)
disposition
Synonyms: indolēs, ingenium, habitus, nātūra, character
- 121 CE, Suetonius, De vita Caesarum Caligulae:
  hominum erga se mentes
  the dispositions of men toward him
thought, plan, purpose, intention
Synonyms: voluntās, intentiō, propositum, cōnsilium, fīnis, animus

Usage notes

In Classical Latin, the ablative singular mente was used with a feminine adjective to form a manner adjunct that expressed a person's intent, state of mind:

1st century BCE, Catullus, poem 8, line 11:
sed obstinātā mente perfer, obdūrā
but with a resolute mind endure, be firm.
29-19 BCE, Virgil, Aenid, book 4, line 105:
sēnsit enim simulātā mente locūtam
for she realized that (she) had spoken with false purpose.

In Late Latin, this construction began to be grammaticalised as a phrasal adverb and extended to other adjectives and uses as well; this process was finalised in Romance, resulting in a generic adverbial suffix (though still unstressed and separable in Spanish when more than one adverb is coordinated).

8th century, Reichenau Glossary
singulariter : solamente
singulariter [means] solamente [in the vernacular]

Declension

The declension is identical to the standard I-stem pattern, except with the accusative and ablative singulars using the consonantal endings.Third-declension noun (i-stem).

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	mēns	mentēs
Genitive	mentis	mentium
Dative	mentī	mentibus
Accusative	mentem	mentēs mentīs
Ablative	mente	mentibus
Vocative	mēns	mentēs

Derived terms

āmens, āmentia
dēmens, dēmentia
dēmentō
mentālis
mentiō
mentior

Descendants

From the noun itself:

Aromanian: minti, minte
Asturian: miente, mente
Catalan: ment
→ Esperanto: menso
Friulian: ment
Ido: mento
Italian: mente
Occitan: ment
Portuguese: mente
Romanian: minte
Sardinian: mente, menti
Sicilian: menti
Spanish: mente
Venetian: ménte

From the ablative mente, used as an adverbial suffix:

Asturian: -mente
Catalan: -ment
French: -ment
→ Interlingua: -mente
Italian: -mente
Occitan: -ment
Portuguese: -mente
Spanish: -mente

References

“mens”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
“mens”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
mens in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette
Carl Meißner; Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎, London: Macmillan and Co.
- to attract universal attention: omnium animos or mentes in se convertere
- to free one's mind from the influences of the senses: sevocare mentem a sensibus (De Nat. D. 3. 8. 21)
- to be out of one's mind: mente captum esse, mente alienata esse
- to possess great ability: intellegentia or mente multum valere
- to grasp a thing mentally: animo, mente, cogitatione aliquid comprehendere, complecti
- something comes into my mind: mihi in mentem venit alicuius rei
- to fix all one's thoughts on an object: mentem in aliqua re defigere
- to think over, consider a thing: agitare (in) mente or (in) animo aliquid
- with the intention of..: eo consilio, ea mente, ut
- nothing will ever make me forgetful of him: semper memoria eius in (omnium) mentibus haerebit
- a man's soul breathes through his writings: alicuius mens in scriptis spirat
- to upset a person: alicuius mentem turbare, conturbare, perturbare
- to compose oneself with difficulty: mente vix constare (Tusc. 4. 17. 39)
- to be calm, self-possessed: mente consistere
- a good conscience: mens bene sibi conscia
- to be tormented by remorse: (mens scelerum furiis agitatur)
- superstition has taken possession of their souls: superstitio mentes occupavit (Verr. 4. 51. 113)
- (ambiguous) to see with the mind's eye: oculis mentis videre aliquid
- (ambiguous) to be of sane mind: mentis compotem esse
- (ambiguous) to be of sound mind: sanae mentis esse
- (ambiguous) to obscure the mental vision: mentis quasi luminibus officere (vid. sect. XIII. 6) or animo caliginem offundere
- (ambiguous) innate ideas: notiones animo (menti) insitae, innatae
- (ambiguous) to lose one's composure; to be disconcerted: de statu suo or mentis deici (Att. 16. 15)
- (ambiguous) to lose one's head, be beside oneself: sui (mentis) compotem non esse
- (ambiguous) enthusiasm: ardor, inflammatio animi, incitatio mentis, mentis vis incitatior
“mens”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898) Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
mens in Ramminger, Johann (accessed 16 July 2016) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎, pre-publication website, 2005-2016
“mens”, in William Smith, editor (1848) A Dictionary of Greek Biography and Mythology, London: John Murray

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology 1

From Danish mens, from older medens, from Old Norse meðan.

Conjunction

mens

while

Noun

mens m (definite singular mensen, indefinite plural mens or menser, definite plural mensene)

short for menstruasjon (menstruation), a monthly period.

References

“mens” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

mens m (definite singular mensen, indefinite plural mensar, definite plural mensane)

short for menstruasjon (menstruation), a monthly period.

References

“mens” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Occitan

Etymology

From Latin minus.

Pronunciation

Audio (file)

Adverb

mens

less
Antonyms: mai, pus

Derived terms

almens
mai o mens
pasmens

Old Norse

Noun

mens

indefinite genitive singular of men

Swedish

Etymology 1

Syncopic form of medans, in turn a colloquial form of medan (“while”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈmɛnːs/
Rhymes: -ɛnːs
Homophone: mäns

Conjunction

mens

(colloquial) while
Jag dukar fram frukost mens du duschar.
I’ll arrange breakfast while you take a shower.
Synonyms: medan, (colloquial) medans

Etymology 2

Clipping of menstruation.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈmɛnːs/
Rhymes: -ɛnːs
Homophone: mäns

Noun

mens c

menstruation, period

Declension

Declension of mens
	Uncountable
	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	mens	mensen	—	—
Genitive	mens	mensens	—	—

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈmeːns/
Rhymes: -eːns

Noun

mens

indefinite genitive singular of men.
indefinite genitive plural of men.

Volapük

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /mens/

Noun

mens

people