caenum

Latin

Etymology

Uncertain – usually derived from Proto-Indo-European *ḱʷeyn- (“to soil; mud; filth”). According to Pokorny, cognate with inquinō, obscēnus, cūniō and English whin.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈkae̯.num/, [ˈkäe̯nʊ̃ˑ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃe.num/, [ˈt͡ʃɛːnum]

Noun

caenum n (genitive caenī); second declension

1. dirt, filth, mud, mire

Declension

Second-declension noun (neuter).

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	caenum	caena
Genitive	caenī	caenōrum
Dative	caenō	caenīs
Accusative	caenum	caena
Ablative	caenō	caenīs
Vocative	caenum	caena

Derived terms

• caenōsus
• caenulentus

Descendants

• Portuguese: ceno
• Spanish: cieno
• ⇒ Vulgar Latin: *caenica
  • Spanish: ciénega, ciénaga

References

• “caenum”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “caenum”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• caenum in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.