segnis

Latin

Etymology

Uncertain. An adjective in *-ni reflecting possibly Proto-Indo-European *sek- (“to coagulate, dry out”) or *seh₁k- (“to arrive”), but with semantic problems. Cognates would then include Ancient Greek ἦκα (êka, “slightly, slowly, a little”) and ἥσσων (hḗssōn, “inferior, weaker, smaller”).

Otherwise, if not related to Ancient Greek words, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *seg- (“to stick, adhere”), with acceptable semantic shift from "sticky" to "inert". In both cases the long vowel possibly reflects an original root noun, or otherwise remains unexplainable.

Pronunciation

  • (Classical) IPA(key): /ˈseːɡ.nis/, [ˈseːŋ.nɪs]

Adjective

sēgnis (neuter sēgne); third declension

  1. slow, tardy, torpid, inactive, unenergetic, lazy
    Synonym: piger

Inflection

Third declension.

Number Singular Plural
Case / Gender Masc./Fem. Neuter Masc./Fem. Neuter
nominative sēgnis sēgne sēgnēs sēgnia
genitive sēgnis sēgnium
dative sēgnī sēgnibus
accusative sēgnem sēgne sēgnēs, sēgnīs sēgnia
ablative sēgnī sēgnibus
vocative sēgnis sēgne sēgnēs sēgnia

Derived terms

References

  • segnis in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • segnis in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • segnis in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
  • segnis in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Hachette
  • De Vaan, Michiel (2008) Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, pages 552-553
  • Rix, Helmut, editor (2001) Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben [Lexicon of Indo-European Verbs] (in German), 2nd edition, Wiesbaden: Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, →ISBN, page 519
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