alumnus

English

Etymology

Borrowed from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin alumnus (literally “foster child, nourished one”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əˈlʌmnəs/

Noun

alumnus (plural alumni, feminine alumna)

1. A male pupil or student.
2. A male graduate.
3. A student of either gender.
4. A graduate of either gender.

Usage notes

Alumnus is used when the gender of the subject is unspecified.

Any alumnus may be invited to the reunion.

Related terms

• alumnae/alumnæ
• alum
• alma mater
• alimony
• alimentary

Translations

a male pupil or student

• Arabic: طَالِب m (ṭālib), طَلَبَة m pl (ṭalaba)
• Bulgarian: питомник (pitomnik)
• Czech: žák (cs) m, student (cs) m
• Finnish: miespuolinen opiskelija
• French: étudiant (fr) m, élève (fr) m
• Galician: universitario (gl) m
• German: Student (de) m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Korean: 남학생 (ko) (namhaksaeng)
• Malay: alumni
• Persian: دانش‌آموز (fa), دانشجو (fa)
• Portuguese: aluno (pt) m
• Russian: учени́к (ru) m (učeník), студе́нт (ru) m (studént)
• Spanish: alumno (es)

a male graduate

• Arabic: خِرِّيج m (ḵirrīj), خِرِّيجُون m pl (ḵirrījūn)
• Armenian: սան (hy) (san)
• Bulgarian: възпитаник (bg) (vǎzpitanik)
• Czech: absolvent (cs) m
• Finnish: miespuolinen alumni
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• French: diplômé (fr) m, ancien élève
• Persian: فارغ‌التحصیل (fa)
• Portuguese: diplomado m, graduado (pt) m
• Russian: выпускни́к (ru) m (vypuskník)
• Spanish: exalumno, egresado (es)

a student

• Arabic: طَالِب m (ṭālib), طَالِبَة f (ṭāliba), طَلَبَة m pl (ṭalaba), طَالِبَات f pl (ṭālibāt)
• Czech: student (cs) m, studentka (cs) f
• Finnish: opiskelija (fi)
• French: étudiant (fr) m, étudiante (fr) f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• German: Student (de)
• Portuguese: aluno (pt) m
• Swedish: student (sv) c, studenter (sv) pl

a graduate

• Arabic: خِرِّيج m (ḵirrīj), خِرِّيجَة f (ḵirrīja), خِرِّيجُون m pl (ḵirrījūn), خِرِّيجَات f pl (ḵirrījāt)
• Czech: absolvent (cs) m, absolventka f
• Finnish: valmistunut opiskelija, alumni (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• French: diplômé (fr) m, diplômée (fr) f
• Japanese: 卒業生 (sotsugyōsei)
• Swedish: alumn (sv) c, alumner (sv) c pl

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Latin

Etymology

(deprecated template usage)

• From Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-o-mno- (“being nourished”), mediopassive participle (see *-mh₁nos) of *h₂el- (“to nourish, grow”) (whence alō).
• Alternatively from Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- (“to nourish, grow”) + *-mno- (see *-mn̥).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /aˈlum.nus/, [äˈɫ̪ʊmnʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /aˈlum.nus/, [äˈlumnus]

Adjective

alumnus (feminine alumna, neuter alumnum); first/second-declension adjective

1. Nourished, fostered, etc.

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

Number	Singular				Plural
Case / Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	alumnus	alumna	alumnum		alumnī	alumnae	alumna
Genitive	alumnī	alumnae	alumnī		alumnōrum	alumnārum	alumnōrum
Dative	alumnō		alumnō		alumnīs
Accusative	alumnum	alumnam	alumnum		alumnōs	alumnās	alumna
Ablative	alumnō	alumnā	alumnō		alumnīs
Vocative	alumne	alumna	alumnum		alumnī	alumnae	alumna

Noun

alumnus m (genitive alumnī); second declension

1. Nursling, pupil
2. foster son.

Declension

Second-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	alumnus	alumnī
Genitive	alumnī	alumnōrum
Dative	alumnō	alumnīs
Accusative	alumnum	alumnōs
Ablative	alumnō	alumnīs
Vocative	alumne	alumnī

Descendants

• English: alumnus
• Catalan: alumne
• Italian: alunno
• Portuguese: aluno
• Spanish: alumno

References

• “alumnus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “alumnus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• alumnus 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)
• alumnus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.