habitus

See also: Habitus

English

Habitus (general appearance) of the beetle Cucujus haematodes.

Etymology

From Latin habitus (“habit”), from habeō (“have; maintain”). The plural habiti is a misconstruction, as the Latin plural is in fact habitūs. habiti may have been influenced by Latin habitī, the plural of the participle habitus; however, it is not the etymon of the English term.

Noun

habitus (usually uncountable, plural habiti or habitus or habituses)

1. (zoology) habitude; mode of life; bearing.
2. (zoology, chiefly invertebrates) General appearance.
   • 1963, Alan H. Cheetham, Late Eocene Zoogeography of the Eastern Gulf Coast Region, page 30:

     [M]any species having eschariform zoaria in quiet water are able to assume the membraniporiform habitus in strongly agitated water.

3. (botany) habit
4. (anatomy, medicine) the general shape and appearance of the body, usually with reference to weight, adipose distribution, posture, and gait; most often called by the collocation body habitus.
5. (sociology) The lifestyle, values, dispositions and expectations of particular social groups that are acquired through the activities and experiences of everyday life.
   • 2019, Raúl Sánchez García, “Reformulation, expansion, and hybridisation of Japanese martial arts”, in The Historical Sociology of Japanese Martial Arts (Routledge Research in Sport, Culture and Society), Abingdon, Oxfordshire; New York, N.Y.: Routledge, →ISBN, part III (Martial artists):

     A wrestler could gain the rank of ōzeki based on his competitive achievements, but the promotion to yokozuna implied the presence of a certain habitus than embodied the quintessential traditional Japaneseness.

6. (liturgy) The liturgical clothing of monks, nuns and the clerical community, metaphorically referring to the religious mode of life.

Usage notes

• The main distinction between usage in botany versus zoology is that a plant's habit is a more or less technical statement of its growth form and structure (e.g. liana vs. tree vs. acaulescent herbaceous), while in zoology, the habitus is often not even qualified or described other than to serve as a more technical statement that the taxon resembles another. This is especially common for Hexapoda and Arachnida.

Translations

habitude

• Finnish: habitus (fi), ulkomuoto (fi)
• German: Habitus (de) m
• Ukrainian: габітус m (habitus)

References

• “habitus”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• ushabti

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin habitus (“habit”), a noun based on habeō (“have; maintain”).

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ha‧bi‧tus

Noun

habitus m (plural habitussen or habitus)

1. manner, behaviour
2. general physical appearance such as shape of the body
3. (botany) general appearance and/or behaviour of a plant

Descendants

• → Indonesian: habitus

Finnish

Etymology

Internationalism (see English habitus), ultimately from Latin habitus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhɑbitus/, [ˈhɑ̝bit̪us̠]
• Rhymes: -ɑbitus
• Hyphenation^(key): ha‧bi‧tus

Noun

habitus

1. habitus

Declension

Inflection of habitus (Kotus type 39/vastaus, no gradation)
nominative		habitus	habitukset
genitive		habituksen	habitusten habituksien
partitive		habitusta	habituksia
illative		habitukseen	habituksiin
		singular	plural
nominative		habitus	habitukset
accusative	nom.	habitus	habitukset
	gen.	habituksen
genitive		habituksen	habitusten habituksien
partitive		habitusta	habituksia
inessive		habituksessa	habituksissa
elative		habituksesta	habituksista
illative		habitukseen	habituksiin
adessive		habituksella	habituksilla
ablative		habitukselta	habituksilta
allative		habitukselle	habituksille
essive		habituksena	habituksina
translative		habitukseksi	habituksiksi
abessive		habituksetta	habituksitta
instructive		—	habituksin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of habitus (Kotus type 39/vastaus, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative habitukseni habitukseni accusative nom. habitukseni habitukseni gen. habitukseni genitive habitukseni habitusteni habituksieni partitive habitustani habituksiani inessive habituksessani habituksissani elative habituksestani habituksistani illative habitukseeni habituksiini adessive habituksellani habituksillani ablative habitukseltani habituksiltani allative habitukselleni habituksilleni essive habituksenani habituksinani translative habituksekseni habituksikseni abessive habituksettani habituksittani instructive — — comitative — habituksineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative habituksesi habituksesi accusative nom. habituksesi habituksesi gen. habituksesi genitive habituksesi habitustesi habituksiesi partitive habitustasi habituksiasi inessive habituksessasi habituksissasi elative habituksestasi habituksistasi illative habitukseesi habituksiisi adessive habituksellasi habituksillasi ablative habitukseltasi habituksiltasi allative habituksellesi habituksillesi essive habituksenasi habituksinasi translative habitukseksesi habituksiksesi abessive habituksettasi habituksittasi instructive — — comitative — habituksinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative habituksemme habituksemme accusative nom. habituksemme habituksemme gen. habituksemme genitive habituksemme habitustemme habituksiemme partitive habitustamme habituksiamme inessive habituksessamme habituksissamme elative habituksestamme habituksistamme illative habitukseemme habituksiimme adessive habituksellamme habituksillamme ablative habitukseltamme habituksiltamme allative habituksellemme habituksillemme essive habituksenamme habituksinamme translative habitukseksemme habituksiksemme abessive habituksettamme habituksittamme instructive — — comitative — habituksinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative habituksenne habituksenne accusative nom. habituksenne habituksenne gen. habituksenne genitive habituksenne habitustenne habituksienne partitive habitustanne habituksianne inessive habituksessanne habituksissanne elative habituksestanne habituksistanne illative habitukseenne habituksiinne adessive habituksellanne habituksillanne ablative habitukseltanne habituksiltanne allative habituksellenne habituksillenne essive habituksenanne habituksinanne translative habitukseksenne habituksiksenne abessive habituksettanne habituksittanne instructive — — comitative — habituksinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative habituksensa habituksensa accusative nom. habituksensa habituksensa gen. habituksensa genitive habituksensa habitustensa habituksiensa partitive habitustaan habitustansa habituksiaan habituksiansa inessive habituksessaan habituksessansa habituksissaan habituksissansa elative habituksestaan habituksestansa habituksistaan habituksistansa illative habitukseensa habituksiinsa adessive habituksellaan habituksellansa habituksillaan habituksillansa ablative habitukseltaan habitukseltansa habituksiltaan habituksiltansa allative habitukselleen habituksellensa habituksilleen habituksillensa essive habituksenaan habituksenansa habituksinaan habituksinansa translative habituksekseen habitukseksensa habituksikseen habituksiksensa abessive habituksettaan habituksettansa habituksittaan habituksittansa instructive — — comitative — habituksineen habituksinensa

Synonyms

• ulkomuoto

Further reading

• “habitus”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

Indonesian

Etymology

Internationalism, borrowed from Dutch habitus, from Latin habitus.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /haˈbitus/ [haˈbi.t̪ʊs]
• Rhymes: -itus
• Syllabification: ha‧bi‧tus

Noun

habitus (plural habitus-habitus)

1. habitus, habit (the general shape, appearance, or characteristic)
2. (sociology) habitus (the lifestyle, etc. of particular social groups)
3. habit (an action performed repeatedly and automatically, usually without awareness)

Related terms

• habitat
• habituasi

Further reading

• “habitus” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

Latin

Etymology 1

Perfect passive participle of habeō (“have”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈha.bi.tus/, [ˈhäbɪt̪ʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈa.bi.tus/, [ˈäːbit̪us]

Participle

habitus (feminine habita, neuter habitum); first/second-declension participle

1. retained, maintained, having been maintained
2. (by extension) well-kept; stout, fleshy, burly

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

	singular				plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	habitus	habita	habitum		habitī	habitae	habita
genitive	habitī	habitae	habitī		habitōrum	habitārum	habitōrum
dative	habitō	habitae	habitō		habitīs
accusative	habitum	habitam	habitum		habitōs	habitās	habita
ablative	habitō	habitā	habitō		habitīs
vocative	habite	habita	habitum		habitī	habitae	habita

Descendants

• Sardinian: àpidu, àpitu, àpiu

Etymology 2

From habeō (I have) +‎ -tus (noun formation suffix). Distantly related to gift.

Noun

habitus m (genitive habitūs); fourth declension

1. external aspect, appearance, posture, frame

   Synonyms: speciēs, faciēs, fōrma, frōns

2. habit; disposition; character

   Synonyms: indolēs, natura, ingenium, mēns, character

3. physical or emotional condition
4. dress, attire

Declension

Fourth-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	habitus	habitūs
genitive	habitūs	habituum
dative	habituī	habitibus
accusative	habitum	habitūs
ablative	habitū	habitibus
vocative	habitus	habitūs

Descendants

• → Asturian: hábitu
• → Bulgarian: хабитус (habitus)
• → Catalan: hàbit
• → Dutch: habitus
• → English: habit, habitus
• → Finnish: habitus
• → German: Habitus
• → Italian: abito
• → Lombard: abet
• → Old French: abit (see there for further descendants)
• → Old Irish: aibit
  • Irish: aibíd
  • Scottish Gaelic: abaid
• → Old Galician-Portuguese: abito
  • Galician: hábito
  • Portuguese: hábito
• → Polish: habit
• → Russian: га́битус (gábitus)
• → Spanish: hábito
• → Ukrainian: габітус (habitus)
• → Venetan: abito
  • → Cimbrian: abito

References

• “habitus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “habitus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• habitus in Enrico Olivetti, editor (2003-2025), Dizionario Latino, Olivetti Media Communication
• "habitus", 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)
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[2], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • humour; disposition: animi affectio or habitus (De Inv. 2. 5)
    

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin habitus.

Noun

habitus n (plural habitusuri)

1. habitus

Declension

Declension of habitus

	singular			plural
	indefinite	definite		indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	habitus	habitusul		habitusuri	habitusurile
genitive-dative	habitus	habitusului		habitusuri	habitusurilor
vocative	habitusule			habitusurilor