contemptus

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [kɔnˈtɛmp.tʊs]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [konˈtɛmp.tus]

Etymology 1

Perfect passive participle of contemnō (“to despise”).

Participle

contemptus (feminine contempta, neuter contemptum); first/second-declension participle

1. scorned, having been scorned
2. disparaged, having been disparaged
3. humbled, having been humbled

Adjective

contemptus (feminine contempta, neuter contemptum, comparative contemptior, superlative contemptissimus, adverb contemptim); first/second-declension adjective

1. despised, despicable
2. contemptible, vile
3. valued little, disregarded
   • Quintus Curtius Rufus, Historiae Alexandri Magni, Book VI

     Parva saepe scintilla contempta magnum excitavit incendium.

     A small spark neglected has often roused to a great inferno.

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

	singular				plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	contemptus	contempta	contemptum		contemptī	contemptae	contempta
genitive	contemptī	contemptae	contemptī		contemptōrum	contemptārum	contemptōrum
dative	contemptō	contemptae	contemptō		contemptīs
accusative	contemptum	contemptam	contemptum		contemptōs	contemptās	contempta
ablative	contemptō	contemptā	contemptō		contemptīs
vocative	contempte	contempta	contemptum		contemptī	contemptae	contempta

Etymology 2

From contemnō +‎ -tus (forming action nouns).

Noun

contemptus m (genitive contemptūs); fourth declension

1. a despising, contempting; contempt, scorn
2. a being despised, contempted
3. ignominy

Declension

Fourth-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	contemptus	contemptūs
genitive	contemptūs	contemptuum
dative	contemptuī	contemptibus
accusative	contemptum	contemptūs
ablative	contemptū	contemptibus
vocative	contemptus	contemptūs

References

• “contemptus¹”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “contemptus²”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “contemptus¹”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “contemptus²”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “contemptus”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.