genu

See also: ĝenu

English

Etymology

PIE word
*ǵónu

Borrowed from Latin genu (“knee”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒɛn.juː/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒiˌnu/, /ˈd͡ʒɛn.(j)u/
• Rhymes: -ɛnjuː

Noun

genu (plural genua)

1. (anatomy, zootomy) The knee.

   Hyponyms: genu valgum, genu varum

   1. A knee-like structure, in particular a bend in the corpus callosum of mammals.

Derived terms

• genual
• genu-

Related terms

• geniculate

References

• “genu”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “genu”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.

Anagrams

• Egun

Latin

Alternative forms

• genum, genus

Etymology

PIE word
*ǵónu

From Proto-Italic *genu, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵónu. Cognate with Ancient Greek γόνῠ (gónu, “knee; plant node”), German Knie, English knee, Dutch knie.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈɡe.nuː/, [ˈɡɛnuː] or IPA^(key): /ˈɡe.nu/, [ˈɡɛnʊ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒe.nu/, [ˈd͡ʒɛːnu]
• Note: the nominative/accusative ending vowel of 4th declension neuters is etymologically expected to be short, and is stated to be so by late grammarians. A long vowel would also be expected to be subject to iambic shortening in most forms. There are only two passages that conclusively require a long scansion.

Noun

genū n (genitive genūs); fourth declension

1. (literally, anatomy) a knee, kneejoint, kneepan
   • 4th century, St. Jerome, Vulgate, Philippians 2:10 [2]

     ut in nomine Jesu omne genu flectatur caelestium, terrestrium et infernorum

     that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.

2. an elbow
3. (transferred sense) an act of kneeling or beseeching
4. (transferred sense, botany) a knot, joint

   Synonym: geniculum

Inflection

Fourth-declension noun (neuter).

	singular	plural
nominative	genū	genua
genitive	genūs	genuum
dative	genū	genibus
accusative	genū	genua
ablative	genū	genibus
vocative	genū	genua

A rare genitive singular form genoris is attested epigraphically.

• 1910, Ernst Diehl, editor, Vulgärlateinische Inschriften, Bonn, page 98 f:

  testor nunc superōs: nōn hoc meruisse vidēbar
  in volnus genoris quot subitō occidimus.

  I bear witness before the Gods that I don't think I was deserving
  to have a sudden harm befall my knee

Derived terms

• geniculum
• genuflecto

Descendants

• Portuguese: geio (“terrace”) (Trás-os-Montes)

References

• “genu”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press

Further reading

• “genu”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• genu 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)
• genu in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[3], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • (ambiguous) the male, female sex: sexus (not genus) virilis, muliebris
    
  • (ambiguous) to choose a career, profession: genus vitae (vivendi) or aetatis degendae deligere
    
  • (ambiguous) to analyse a general division into its specific parts: genus universum in species certas partiri et dividere (Or. 33. 117)
    
  • (ambiguous) to transplant to Rome one of the branches of poesy: poesis genus ad Romanos transferre
    
  • (ambiguous) style: genus dicendi (scribendi); oratio
    
  • (ambiguous) elevated, moderate, plain style: genus dicendi grave or grande, medium, tenue (cf. Or. 5. 20; 6. 21)
    
  • (ambiguous) a running style: fusum orationis genus
    
  • (ambiguous) a rough, unpolished style: inconditum dicendi genus (Brut. 69. 242)
    
  • (ambiguous) a bombastic style: inflatum orationis genus
    
  • (ambiguous) to adopt the language of everyday life: accedere ad cotidiani sermonis genus