gens

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See also:Gens,gēns,andġens

English

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EnglishWikipediahas an article on:
Wikipedia
WOTD – 21 April 2018

Etymology 1

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AbustofMarcus Aurelius(121–180C.E.) found inKandilli,Bilecik Province.[1]Marcus Aurelius, who wasRoman emperorfrom 161 to 180C.E.,was from the gensAnnia(sense 1)as indicated by his name during his early years – Marcus Annius Verus.

Borrowed fromLatingēns(“gens; people, tribe”),fromProto-Italic*gentis,fromProto-Indo-European*ǵénh₁tis(“birth; production”),from*ǵenh₁-(“to beget; to give birth; to produce”)+*-tis(suffix forming abstract or action nouns from verb roots).Doubletofkind,genesis,andjati.See alsogender,generate,gentile,genus;alsoLatingigno(“I bring forth”).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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gens(pluralgentesorgenses)

  2. (Ancient Rome,historical)AlegallydefinedunitofRomansociety,being a collection of peoplerelatedthrough acommonancestorbybirth,marriageoradoption,possibly over manygenerations,and sharing the samenomen gentilicium.
    • 1848,G[eorge] L[ong], “GENS”, inWilliam Smith,editor,Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities,2nd improved and enlarged edition, London: Taylor, Walton, and Maberly,Upper Gower Street;and Ivy Lane,Paternoster Row;John Murray,Albemarle Street,→OCLC,pages568 and 569:
      [page 568, column 2] There were certain sacred rites (sacra gentilitia) which belonged to agens,to the observance of which all the members of agens,as such, were bound, whether they were members by birth, adoption, or adrogation. A person was freed from the observance of such sacra, and lost the privileges connected with his gentile rites, when he lost hisgens,that is, when he was adrogated, adopted, or even emancipated; for adrogation, adoption, and emancipation were accompanied by a diminutio capitis.[…][page 569, column 2] As thegenteswere subdivisions of the three ancient tribes, the populus (in the ancient sense) alone hadgentes,so that to be a patrician and to have agenswere synonymous; and thus we find the expressionsgensand patricii constantly united.
    • 1987,Frances Gies,Joseph Gies,“Roots: Roman, German, Christian”,inMarriage and Family in the Middle Ages,New York, N.Y.:Harper & Row,→ISBN:
      Caius Julius Caesarbelonged to thegensJulius, his father's name was Caesar, and his own individual name (praenomen) was Caius. Women were given the clan name as their own; Caesar's sister was called Julia, and a younger sister would have been called Julia Minor.
  3. (anthropology)Atribalsubgroupwhose members arecharacterizedby having the samedescent,usually along themaleline.
    • 1877,Lewis H[enry] Morgan,“Organization of Society upon the Basis of Sex”, inAncient Society: Or Researches in the Lines of Human Progress from Savagery through Barbarism to Civilization,New York, N.Y.:Henry Holt and Company,→OCLC,part II (Growth of the Idea of Government),pages51–52:
      TheKamilaroiare divided into sixgentes,standing with reference to the right of marriage, in two divisions,[…]Originally the first threegenteswere not allowed to intermarry with each other, because they were subdivisions of an originalgens;but they were permitted to marry into either of the othergentes,andvice versâ.
    • 1919,Boris Sidis,The Source and Aim of Human Progress,Boston, Mass.: Richard G. Badger, the Gorham Press,→OCLC,page25:
      The taboos, the laws, the rules ofgentes,tribes, and nations, from the lowest to the highest, are upheld by a vague terror and sacred awe which society impresses on man by threats of ill-luck, fearful evil, and terrible punishments befalling sinners and transgressors of the tabooed, of the holy and the forbidden, charged with a mysterious, highly contagious, and virulently infective life-consuming energy.
    • 2006,Dzemal Sokolovic, “Man (between Individualism and Totalitarianism)”, inNation vs. People: Bosnia is Just a Case,Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Press,→ISBN,part I (Man and Social Grouping),page15:
      While a woman and a man [who are native Hawaiians] primarily establish a family, they nonetheless remain members of differentgenses,and it is only as members of differentgensesthat they are able to set up the family. At the same time, the children belong to thefamily of their parents,but owing to the validity of their mother's side—exclusively, to thegensof their mother.Thus, the members of one and the same family, the closest blood-related community, are members of two differentgenses.
  4. (zoology)A host-specificlineageof abrood parasitespecies.[W]
Usage notes
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Regarding sense 1 ( “historical Roman unit of society” ), the concept is close to and often translated asclan,but the two are not identical. The alternativetribeis also sometimes used, but theLatintribushas a separate meaning.

Synonyms
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  • (Roman unit of society):clan,tribe(but see the usage note)
Derived terms
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  • gentile(“of or pertaining to a gens or several gentes”)
Translations
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Etymology 2

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Clipping ofgenerations.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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gens

  1. pluralofgen(clipping ofgeneration).
    • 2004,Sally Bishai, “Courtship, Marriage and the Ubiquitous ‘Dating Thing’”, inMid-East Meets West: On Being and Becoming a Modern Arab American,Lincoln, Neb.:iUniverse,→ISBN,page57:
      For my fellow first-gens,get ready to hide a smirk, because your life story is likely hidden somewhere in this chapter. For the uninitiated—that is, the person who's never had a thing to do with the Arab way of doing things (namely dating)—I advise you to buckle up.
    • 2016,Dwight Lang, “Witnessing Social Class in the Academy”, in Allison L. Hurst, Sandi Kawecka Nenga, editors,Working in Class: Recognizing How Social Class Shapes Our Academic Work,Lanham, Md.:Rowman & Littlefield,→ISBN,part 2 (Teaching),page102:
      […]I witness firsthand the difficult "downstream" outcomes (Grusky 2014) of social class stratification in a university setting where approximately 3,400 undergraduates (13% of the undergraduate population) are first in their families to attend and/or graduate from college (first-gens). Most of these students are low income and nearly 1,200 first-genshave grown up in poverty.
    • 2017,Temple Fennell, “SCIE: Sustainable Cycle of Investing Engagement”, in Kirby Rosplock,The Complete Direct Investing Handbook: A Guide for Family Offices, Qualified Purchasers, and Accredited Investors(BloombergFinancial Series), Hoboken, N.J.:John Wiley & Sons,→ISBN,page242:
      TheFamily ValuesandFraming Strategysteps address soft issues as what is the purpose of the new investment strategy, is there a desire to engage and train the next generation (NextGens), and is there building buy-in and engagement across the family members important to strengthen family unity.

References

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  1. ^Currently in the collection of theIstanbul Archaeology MuseuminIstanbul,Turkey.

Further reading

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Anagrams

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Catalan

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Etymology 1

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InheritedfromLatingenus.

Pronunciation

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Adverb

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gens

  1. (in negative phrases)at all
    No m'agradagens.―I don't like itat all.
  2. (in negative constructions)notany
    No quedagensde sal.―There isn'tanysalt left.
  3. (in interrogative constructions)any
    Et quedagensde sal?―Do you haveanysalt left?

Etymology 2

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Pronunciation

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Noun

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gens

  1. pluralofgen(“gene”)

References

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Finnish

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Etymology

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Learned borrowingfromLatingēns.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key):/ˈɡens/,[ˈɡe̞ns̠]
  • Rhymes:-ens
  • Syllabification(key):gens

Noun

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gens

  1. (historical)gens(a unit in Ancient Roman society)

Declension

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Inflectionofgens(Kotustype 5/risti,no gradation)
nominative gens gensit
genitive gensin gensien
partitive gensiä gensejä
illative gensiin genseihin
singular plural
nominative gens gensit
accusative nom. gens gensit
gen. gensin
genitive gensin gensien
partitive gensiä gensejä
inessive gensissä genseissä
elative gensistä genseistä
illative gensiin genseihin
adessive gensillä genseillä
ablative gensiltä genseiltä
allative gensille genseille
essive gensinä genseinä
translative gensiksi genseiksi
abessive gensittä genseittä
instructive — gensein
comitative See the possessive forms below.
Possessive formsofgens(Kotustype 5/risti,no gradation)
first-person singular possessor
singular plural
nominative gensini gensini
accusative nom. gensini gensini
gen. gensini
genitive gensini gensieni
partitive gensiäni gensejäni
inessive gensissäni genseissäni
elative gensistäni genseistäni
illative gensiini genseihini
adessive gensilläni genseilläni
ablative gensiltäni genseiltäni
allative gensilleni genseilleni
essive gensinäni genseinäni
translative gensikseni genseikseni
abessive gensittäni genseittäni
instructive — —
comitative — genseineni
second-person singular possessor
singular plural
nominative gensisi gensisi
accusative nom. gensisi gensisi
gen. gensisi
genitive gensisi gensiesi
partitive gensiäsi gensejäsi
inessive gensissäsi genseissäsi
elative gensistäsi genseistäsi
illative gensiisi genseihisi
adessive gensilläsi genseilläsi
ablative gensiltäsi genseiltäsi
allative gensillesi genseillesi
essive gensinäsi genseinäsi
translative gensiksesi genseiksesi
abessive gensittäsi genseittäsi
instructive — —
comitative — genseinesi
first-person plural possessor
singular plural
nominative gensimme gensimme
accusative nom. gensimme gensimme
gen. gensimme
genitive gensimme gensiemme
partitive gensiämme gensejämme
inessive gensissämme genseissämme
elative gensistämme genseistämme
illative gensiimme genseihimme
adessive gensillämme genseillämme
ablative gensiltämme genseiltämme
allative gensillemme genseillemme
essive gensinämme genseinämme
translative gensiksemme genseiksemme
abessive gensittämme genseittämme
instructive — —
comitative — genseinemme
second-person plural possessor
singular plural
nominative gensinne gensinne
accusative nom. gensinne gensinne
gen. gensinne
genitive gensinne gensienne
partitive gensiänne gensejänne
inessive gensissänne genseissänne
elative gensistänne genseistänne
illative gensiinne genseihinne
adessive gensillänne genseillänne
ablative gensiltänne genseiltänne
allative gensillenne genseillenne
essive gensinänne genseinänne
translative gensiksenne genseiksenne
abessive gensittänne genseittänne
instructive — —
comitative — genseinenne
third-person possessor
singular plural
nominative gensinsä gensinsä
accusative nom. gensinsä gensinsä
gen. gensinsä
genitive gensinsä gensiensä
partitive gensiään
gensiänsä 		gensejään
gensejänsä
inessive gensissään
gensissänsä 		genseissään
genseissänsä
elative gensistään
gensistänsä 		genseistään
genseistänsä
illative gensiinsä genseihinsä
adessive gensillään
gensillänsä 		genseillään
genseillänsä
ablative gensiltään
gensiltänsä 		genseiltään
genseiltänsä
allative gensilleen
gensillensä 		genseilleen
genseillensä
essive gensinään
gensinänsä 		genseinään
genseinänsä
translative gensikseen
gensiksensä 		genseikseen
genseiksensä
abessive gensittään
gensittänsä 		genseittään
genseittänsä
instructive — —
comitative — genseineen
genseinensä

Franco-Provençal

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Etymology

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InheritedfromLatingentēs.

Noun

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gensfpl(plural only)(ORB, broad)

  1. people

References

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  • gensin DicoFranPro:Dictionnaire Français/Francoprovençal– ondicofranpro.llm.umontreal.ca
  • gensin Lo trèsor Arpitan – onarpitan.eu

French

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Etymology

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From an earliergents,from the plural ofOld Frenchgent,genz,fromgentem,accusative ofgēns.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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gensmpl(plural only)

  1. set ofpeople
    Cesgens-là ont toujours été sympas avec moi.
    Thosepeoplehave always been kind to me.
    Je n’aime pas lesgensqui se prennent pour le nombril du monde.
    I don't likepeoplewho think the world revolves around them.
    (literally, “I don't likepeoplewho take themselves for the navel of the world.”)
    • 2018,Zaz,J'aime, j'aime:
      Qu’est-ce que t’aimes, qu’est-ce que t’aimes? Je sais pas, moi, ça dépend. J’aime plutôt lesgenshonnêtes.
      What do you like, what do you like? I don't know; it depends. I quite like honestpeople.

Usage notes

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  • Whengensis preceded by anattributive adjectivewhich has a different feminine form, this adjective, along with any precedingdeterminer,is made feminine. However, adjectives after the noun remain masculine.
Touteslesbonnesgensheureux
Tousceshonnêtesgens

Derived terms

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See also

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Further reading

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Icelandic

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Noun

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gens

  1. indefinitegenitivesingularofgen

Latin

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LatinWikipediahas an article on:
Wikipediala

Etymology

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FromProto-Italic*gentis,fromProto-Indo-European*ǵénh₁tis,[1]from root*ǵenh₁-(“to produce, to beget, to give birth”).[2]

See alsogenerō,genus,gignō.Cognate withEnglishkind,Sanskritजाति(jāti),Ancient Greekγένος(génos)andAncient Greekγένεσις(génesis),whenceEnglishgenesis.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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gēnsf(genitivegentis);third declension

  1. Romanclan(related by birth or marriage and sharing a common name and often united by certain religious rites)
  2. stock,tribe
  3. nation,country
    • 8CE,Ovid,Fasti1.599–600:
      Sī petat ā victīs, tot sūmat nōmina Caesar,
      quot numerōgentēsmaximus orbis habet.
      Were Caesar to seek his names from the conquered,
      he would have to assume as many in number as the vast world containsnations.
      1851.The Fasti &c of Ovid.Translated byH. T. Riley.London:H. G. Bohn.pg. 38.
  4. people,family
    Synonyms:tribus,prōlēs,prōgeniēs
  5. the chiefgods
  6. (biblical,Christianity,Judaism)heathen,pagan

Declension

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Third-declensionnoun (i-stem).

singular plural
nominative gēns gentēs
genitive gentis gentium
dative gentī gentibus
accusative gentem gentēs
gentīs
ablative gente gentibus
vocative gēns gentēs

Derived terms

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Descendants

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References

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  1. ^“kind”; in: M. Philippa e.a.,Etymologisch Woordenboek van het Nederlands
  2. ^De Vaan, Michiel(2008) “gēns, -ntis”, inEtymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages(Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill,→ISBN,page258
  3. ^Orel, Vladimir E.(1998) “gjinde”,inAlbanian Etymological Dictionary,Leiden, Boston, Köln: Brill,→ISBN,page136

Further reading

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  • “gens”,inCharlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879)A Latin Dictionary,Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • “gens”,inCharlton T. Lewis (1891)An Elementary Latin Dictionary,New York: Harper & Brothers
  • gensin Charles du Fresne du Cange’sGlossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis(augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
  • gensinGaffiot, Félix (1934)Dictionnaire illustré latin-français,Hachette.
  • Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894)Latin Phrase-Book‎[1],London:Macmillan and Co.
    • the territory of this race extends as far as the Rhine:haec gens pertinet usque ad Rhenum
    • to civilise men, a nation:homines, gentem a fera agrestique vita ad humanum cultum civilemque deducere(De Or. 1. 8. 33)
    • universal history:omnis memoria, omnis memoria aetatum, temporum, civitatumoromnium rerum, gentium, temporum, saeculorum memoria
    • to violate the law of nations:ius gentium violare
    • to completely annihilate a nation:gentem ad internecionem redigereoradducere(B. G. 2. 28)
  • “gens”,inHarry Thurston Peck, editor (1898),Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities,New York: Harper & Brothers
  • gensinRamminger, Johann (2016 July 16 (last accessed))Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎[2],pre-publication website, 2005-2016
  • “gens”,inWilliam Smith et al., editor (1890),A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities,London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin

Norman

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Etymology

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FromOld Frenchgens,gent,fromLatingēns, gentis.

Noun

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gensmpl

  1. (Guernsey,plural only)people

Portuguese

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Etymology

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Borrowed fromLatingēns.Doubletofgente.

Noun

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gensf(invariable)

  1. (Ancient Rome)gens(in Ancient Rome, a group of people descending from a common ancestor)
    Synonym:gente

Spanish

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Noun

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gensf(pluralgenss)

  1. (Ancient Rome)gens

Swedish

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Noun

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gens

  1. indefinitegenitivesingularofgen
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