humanus
/huˈmaː.nʊs/
adjective
Origin
Latin
homo — man, earthling
Overview
Meaning Now
- Of or pertaining to mankind; having the characteristics of a human being.
- Refined, civilized, cultured, or humane in conduct.
Literal older meaning
pertaining to man
Language path
Proto-Indo-European → Latin
Earliest form
humanus
Earliest period
3rd century BC
Journey
The Latin 'humanus' is closely tied to 'humus' (earth/ground), reflecting an ancient Indo-European conception of humanity as 'earth-dwellers' or 'mortals' (those made of earth). By the classical period, it evolved to denote the qualities that distinguish civilized people from wild beasts, emphasizing culture and kindness.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*dʰǵʰemon-
“earth-dweller”
Derivative of *dʰǵʰem- (earth).
- Archaic Latin
hemon-
“person”
Early form of homo.
- Classical Latin
humanus
“human, refined”
Development of an adjective from the noun homo.
Connections
Word parts
hum-
root
earth, man
-anus
suffix
pertaining to
Related across languages
Old English
guma
man
Gothic
guma
man
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Related to humanus
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.