fimum

Latin

Alternative forms

• fimus

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *fūje-, from earlier *θūje, modeled on Proto-Indo-European *dʰuh₂-yé-ti, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewh₂-. See also Latin furvus (“dark, swarthy”), fūmus (“smoke”) and fūlīgō (“soot”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈfi.mum/, [ˈfɪmʊ̃ˑ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈfi.mum/, [ˈfiːmum]

Noun

fimum n (genitive fimī); second declension

1. dung, ordure, excrement

Declension

Second-declension noun (neuter).

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	fimum	fima
Genitive	fimī	fimōrum
Dative	fimō	fimīs
Accusative	fimum	fima
Ablative	fimō	fimīs
Vocative	fimum	fima

Derived terms

• fimārium
• fimētum
• fimicolus

Descendants

• Italo-Romance:
  • Italian: fimo
• ⇒ Vulgar Latin: *femum
  • Northern Gallo-Romance:
    • Franco-Provençal: fien
    • Old French: fien
  • Southern Gallo-Romance:
    • Aragonese: fiemo
      • → Spanish: fiemo, fimo
    • Catalan: fem

References

• fimum in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.