altus

See also: Altus

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈal.tus/, [ˈäɫ̪t̪ʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈal.tus/, [ˈäl̪t̪us]

Etymology 1

From altum, supine of alō (“grow”). Corresponds to Proto-Italic *altos, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eltós, a suffixed form of the root *h₂el- (“grow, nourish”) (compare Proto-Germanic *aldaz, whence English old and world).

Adjective

altus (feminine alta, neuter altum, comparative altior, superlative altissimus, adverb altē); first/second-declension adjective

1. high, tall

   Synonyms: sublimis, excelsus

   Antonyms: demissus, sordidus

2. deep
3. profound
4. deep-rooted

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

	singular				plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	altus	alta	altum		altī	altae	alta
genitive	altī	altae	altī		altōrum	altārum	altōrum
dative	altō	altae	altō		altīs
accusative	altum	altam	altum		altōs	altās	alta
ablative	altō	altā	altō		altīs
vocative	alte	alta	altum		altī	altae	alta

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “height”): brevis

Derived terms

• altē
• altipendulus
• altipeta
• altisonus
• altispex
• altitonāns
• altitūdō
• altiusculē
• altiusculus
• altivolus

Descendants

• → Albanian: lart, nalt
• Aragonese: alto
• Aromanian: analtu, naltu
• Asturian: altu
• Catalan: alt
• Corsican: alto
• Dalmatian: juolt
• Esperanto: alta
• Extremaduran: artu
• Franco-Provençal: hôt
• Old French: halt, haut (merged with Frankish *hauh)
  • Middle French: hault, haut, ault
    • French: haut
• Friulian: alt
• Italian: alto
  • → English: alto
  • → German: Alt
• Ladin: aut
• Leonese: altu
• Mirandese: alto
• Neapolitan: auto
• Occitan: naut, aut
• Old Spanish: alto, oto
  • Spanish: alto
• Old Galician-Portuguese: outo
  • Galician: alto, outo
  • Portuguese: alto
• Romanian: înalt
• Romansch: aut, ault
• Sardinian: artu, altu
• Sicilian: àutu, jàutu, otu, atu
• Venetan: alto, alt

Etymology 2

Perfect passive participle of alō (“nourish”).

Participle

altus (feminine alta, neuter altum); first/second-declension participle

1. nourished, having been nourished
2. fed, having been fed, maintained, having been maintained, developed, having been developed
3. kept, having been kept, supplied with necessities, having been supplied with necessities, supported financially, having been supported financially

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

	singular				plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	altus	alta	altum		altī	altae	alta
genitive	altī	altae	altī		altōrum	altārum	altōrum
dative	altō	altae	altō		altīs
accusative	altum	altam	altum		altōs	altās	alta
ablative	altō	altā	altō		altīs
vocative	alte	alta	altum		altī	altae	alta

References

• “altus1”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “altus2”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “altus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• altus 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)
• altus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • (ambiguous) to study the commonplace: cogitationes in res humiles abicere (De Amic. 9. 32) (Opp. alte spectare, ad altiora tendere, altum, magnificum, divinum suspicere)
    
  • (ambiguous) what he said made a deep impression on..: hoc verbum alte descendit in pectus alicuius
    
  • (ambiguous) to go a long way back (in narrative): longe, alte (longius, altius) repetere (either absolute or ab aliqua re)
    
  • (ambiguous) to put to sea: vela in altum dare (Liv. 25. 27)