basium

Latin

Etymology

From Indo-European root *bu, cognate with English buss

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA: /ˈbaː.si.um/

• Audio (Classical)

  (file)

Noun

bāsium (genitive bāsiī); n, second declension

1. kiss, especially of the hand
   • Phaedre 5, 8, 28

     Jactat basia tibicen.

     Throws kisses of the hand.

Inflection

Number	Singular	Plural
nominative	bāsium	bāsia
genitive	bāsiī	bāsiōrum
dative	bāsiō	bāsiīs
accusative	bāsium	bāsia
ablative	bāsiō	bāsiīs
vocative	bāsium	bāsia

Synonyms

• (kiss): ōsculum, suavium

Descendants

Catalan: bes Dalmatian: biss French: baiser Galician: beixo

Italian: bacio Ladino: bezo Portuguese: beijo Spanish: beso

References

• basium in Charlton T. Lewis & Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1879
• Pokorny *bu