semen

See also: Semen, sémen, semèn, and sêmen

English

Etymology

From Middle English semen, from Latin sēmen (“seed”), from Proto-Indo-European *seh₁- (“to sow; plant”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsiːmən/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːmən
• Homophone: seaman

Noun

semen (usually uncountable, plural semens)

2. A sticky, milky fluid produced in male reproductive organs that contains the reproductive cells.
   • 1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 152:

     Then add four drops of crocodile semen, and pass the mixture through a filter.

   • 1962 [1959], William S. Burroughs, Naked Lunch, New York: Grove Press, page 80:

     Sharp protein odor of semen fills the air.

   • 1981, William Irwin Thompson, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light: Mythology, Sexuality and the Origins of Culture, London: Rider/Hutchinson & Co., page 162:

     In the Sumerian language the word for water also means semen, and since Enki is the god of water, he is therefore the god of semen. In this ode to the Great Father, the land of the Sumerians is literally awash with semen.

Synonyms

• (male reproductory fluid): ejaculate, sperm; (slang): jissom, jism, jizz, balljuice, spunk, cum, seed, spurt, spooge, splooge, load, skeet, squirt, nut
• See also Thesaurus:semen

Derived terms

• semen demon
• semenlike
• semenologist
• semen virile
• semeny
• seminoma

Translations

male reproductive fluid

• Abkhaz: аӷьаӡ (ağʲadz)
• Akkadian: riḫūtu f
• Albanian: spermë (sq) f, lëng seminal m
• Arabic: مَنِيّ m (maniyy)

  Egyptian Arabic: مني m (mani), لبن m (laban) (vulgar)

• Armenian: սերմ (hy) (serm), սերմնահեղուկ (hy) (sermnaheġuk)
• Asturian: semen (ast) m
• Azerbaijani: toxum (az)
• Bashkir: мәней (məney), аталыҡ орлоғо (atalıq orloğo)
• Basque: hazi
• Belarusian: спе́рма f (spjérma), се́мя (be) n (sjémja), кнура́ f (knurá), насе́нне n (nasjénnje)
• Bengali: বীর্য (bn) (birjo)
• Bikol Central: kasit (bcl)
• Bulgarian: спе́рма f (spérma), семенна течност f (semenna tečnost)
• Burmese: သုက် (my) (suk), သုက်ရည် (suk-rany)
• Catalan: esperma (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 精液 (zing¹ jik⁶), 精 (zing¹)

  Hokkien: 精水 (cheng-chúi), 潲 (zh-min-nan) (siâu)

  Mandarin: 精液 (zh) (jīngyè), 㞞 / 𪨊 (zh) (sóng)

• Czech: semeno (cs) n, ejakulát (cs) m, sperma (cs) n
• Danish: sæd (da)
• Dutch: sperma (nl)
• Dzongkha: ཐིག་ལེ (thig le)
• Egyptian: (mtwt)
• Esperanto: ejakulaĵo, spermo
• Estonian: seemnevedelik, sperma (et)
• Faroese: sáð n, spin n
• Finnish: siemenneste (fi), sperma (fi)
• French: semence (fr) f, sperme (fr) m
• Galician: seme (gl) m
• Gamilaraay: barabin
• Georgian: სპერმა (sṗerma), თესლი (ka) (tesli) (mildly vulgar)
• German: Samen (de) m, Sperma (de) n
• Greek: σπέρμα (el) n (spérma)

  Ancient: θορός m (thorós)

• Greenlandic: anisooq, peersaq
• Gujarati: વીર્ય (vīrya)
• Hebrew: זֶרַע (he) m (zera'), זִרְמָה f (zirma)
• Hindi: वीर्य (hi) m (vīrya), शुक्र (hi) m (śukra), बीज (hi) (bīj) (seed), धात (hi) (dhāt), धातु (hi) (dhātu), मनी (hi) (manī), रेतस् (hi) (retas)
• Hungarian: ondó (hu)
• Icelandic: sæði n, sáð n, sáðvökvi m, brundur m
• Indonesian: air mani, semen (id), sperma (id)
• Irish: seamhan m, síol m
• Italian: sperma (it) m, seme (it) m
• Japanese: 精液 (ja) (せいえき, seieki), ザーメン (ja) (zāmen)
• Karok: síshaf
• Khmer: ទឹកកាម (km) (tɨk kaam)
• Korean: 정액(精液) (ko) (jeong'aek), (slang) 좆물 (jonmul),
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: تۆواو (towaw)

  Northern Kurdish: tovav f

• Kyrgyz: сперма (ky) (sperma)
• Lao: ອະສຸຈິ (ʼa su chi), ນ້ຳກາມ (nam kām)
• Latin: sēmen n
• Latvian: sēkla (lv) f, sperma f
• Lithuanian: sperma f, sėkla (lt) f
• Macedonian: сперма f (sperma)
• Malay: mani (ms)
• Malayalam: ശുക്ലം (ml) (śuklaṁ)
• Maltese: liba f
• Manchu: ᠣᠣᡵᡳ (oori)
• Maori: waitātea
• Marathi: रेत (ret)
• Middle English: seed
• Navajo: íígąsh
• Norwegian: sæd m
• Old Czech: chám m
• Persian: منی (fa) (mani), اسپرم (fa) (esperm)

  Middle Persian: šuhr

• Polish: sperma (pl) f, nasienie (pl) n
• Portuguese: sêmen (pt) m, sémen (pt) m
• Romanian: spermă (ro) f
• Russian: се́мя (ru) n (sémja), спе́рма (ru) f (spérma), эякуля́т (ru) m (ejakulját), молофья́ (ru) f (molofʹjá) (vulgar)
• Sami:

  Inari: siemâkolgos

  Northern: siemagolggus

  Skolt: siõmkoolǥâs

• Sanskrit: रेतस् (sa) n (retas)
• Serbo-Croatian: sjeme (sh) n, ejakulat (sh) m, svršotina f

  Cyrillic: сперма f

  Roman: sperma (sh) f

• Shan: ၼမ်ႉၸိူဝ်ႉ (nâ̰m tsô̰e)
• Slovak: sperma f, semeno n
• Slovene: séme (sl) n, spêrma (sl) f
• Spanish: semen (es) m, simiente (es) f
• Sumerian: 𒀀 (a)
• Swahili: shahawa, manii (sw)
• Swedish: säd (sv),sädesvätska (sv), sperma (sv), sagge (sv) c
• Tagalog: punlay, tabod, tamod, semilya, danupunlay
• Tajik: тухмӣ (tuxmi), манӣ (mani)
• Tamil: விந்து (ta) (vintu)
• Telugu: వీర్యము (te) (vīryamu), రేతస్సు (te) (rētassu)
• Thai: อสุจิ (th) (à-sù-jì), น้ำกาม (th) (náam-gaam)
• Tibetan: ཐིག་ལེ (thig le)
• Tocharian B: śukkär
• Tsou: nan'i
• Turkish: meni (tr), sperm (tr), döl (tr), atmık (tr)
• Ukrainian: спе́рма f (spérma), сі́м'я f (símʺja), еякуля́т m (ejakulját), насі́ння (uk) n (nasínnja)
• Urdu: ویریہ m (vīrya), منی
• Uzbek: sperma (uz)
• Vietnamese: tinh dịch (vi) (精液)
• Welsh: semen m, had m (literally “seed”)
• Yiddish: זוימען (zoymen)
• Zazaki: sêmeni

semen (fluid) — see sperm

See also

• semen contra

Anagrams

• menes, mense, mesen, mesne, neems

Asturian

Verb

semen

1. third-person plural present indicative of semar
2. third-person plural present subjunctive of semar

Catalan

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin sēmen.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [ˈsɛ.mən]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [ˈse.men]

• Audio (Barcelona):

  (file)

Noun

semen m (plural sèmens or sémens)

1. semen, sperm

   Synonym: esperma

Further reading

• “semen”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈsɛmɛn]

Noun

semen

1. genitive plural of semeno

Indonesian

Etymology 1

Learned borrowing from Latin sēmen (“semen, seed”), from Proto-Indo-European *seh₁- (“to sow; plant”).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˈsɛmɛn/ [ˈsɛ.mɛn]
• Rhymes: -ɛmɛn
• Syllabification: se‧men

Noun

sèmèn (plural semen-semen)

1. (biology) semen

   Synonyms: air mani, benih mani

Alternative forms

• sémen (Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore)

Derived terms

• persemenan
• semenisasi

Related terms

• seminar
• seminari
• seminaris

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Dutch cement (“cement”), from Old French ciment, from Latin caementum (“quarry stone; stone chips for making mortar”), from caedō (“I cut, hew”). Cognate with Afrikaans sement (“cement”). The sense “cementum” is a semantic loan from English cement.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /səˈmɛn/ [səˈmen]
• Rhymes: -ɛn
• Syllabification: se‧men

Noun

sêmèn (plural semen-semen)

1. cement
2. cemntum

Alternative forms

• (cement): simen (Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore)
• (cementum): simentum (Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore)

Derived terms

• bersemen
• menyemen
• penyemenan
• semenan
• tersemen

• semen asbes
• semen hidrolik
• semen perekat
• semen pozolan

Etymology 3

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /səˈmɛn/ [səˈmen]
• Rhymes: -ɛn
• Syllabification: se‧men

Noun

sêmèn (plural semen-semen)

1. (fashion) batik pattern depicting a garuda with two wings, a tail, and a mountain, generally dark blue with a gold pattern

Further reading

• “semen”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *sēmən, from Proto-Indo-European *séh₁mn̥ (“seed”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈseː.mɛn]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈsɛː.men]

Noun

sēmen n (genitive sēminis); third declension

1. seed (of plants)

   Sēmen manū spargere. ― To scatter seed by hand.

   • 8 CE, Ovid, Fasti 5.221–222:

     ‘prīma per immēnsās sparsī nova sēmina gentēs!
     ūnīus tellūs ante colōris erat.’

     “First [it was] I [who] scattered new seeds throughout countless nations!
     Previously the earth was of [but] one color.”
     (The poetic voice is that of Flora (mythology).)

2. semen
3. graft
4. offspring
5. cause
6. (poetic) seed (of the elements of other bodies (of fire, water, stones, etc.))
   • c. 99 BCE – 55 BCE, Lucretius, De rerum natura 6:

     et ignis sēmina convolvunt ē nūbibus.

     and the seeds of fire roll from the clouds.

Declension

Third-declension noun (neuter, imparisyllabic non-i-stem).

	singular	plural
nominative	sēmen	sēmina
genitive	sēminis	sēminum
dative	sēminī	sēminibus
accusative	sēmen	sēmina
ablative	sēmine	sēminibus
vocative	sēmen	sēmina

Derived terms

• sēmentifer
• sēmentis
• sēminālia
• sēminālis
• sēminārium
• sēminārius
• sēminātiō
• sēminātor
• sēminifer
• sēminium
• sēminiverbius
• sēminō
• sēminōsus

Descendants

• Italian: seme
• Romansch: sem
• Venetan: sema
• → Catalan: semen
• → English: semen
• → Middle Irish: semen
  • Irish: seamhan
• → Galician: seme
• → Portuguese: sêmen, sémen (Portugal)
• → Spanish: semen, ⇒ semilla

References

• “semen”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “semen”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• "semen", 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^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • the elements and first beginnings: elementa et tamquam semina rerum
    
  • to sow: serere; semen spargere
    

Maltese

Root
s-m-n
10 terms

Alternative forms

• semel

Etymology

From Arabic سَمْن (samn).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɛ.mɛn/
• Rhymes: -ɛmɛn

Noun

semen m

1. butter

   Synonym: butir

Mauritian Creole

Etymology

From French chemin.

Noun

semen

1. road, street

References

• Baker, Philip & Hookoomsing, Vinesh Y. 1987. Dictionnaire de créole mauricien. Morisyen – English – Français

Middle English

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old English sēman, from Proto-West Germanic *sōmijan, from Proto-Germanic *sōmijaną.

Alternative forms

• seme, semi

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈseːmən/

Verb

semen (third-person singular simple present semeth, present participle semende, semynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle semed)

1. (Early Middle English) To sort out; to resolve, subdue, or confirm.

Conjugation

Conjugation of semen (weak in -ed)

infinitive	(to) semen, seme
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	seme	semed
2nd-person singular	semest	semedest
3rd-person singular	semeth	semed
subjunctive singular	seme
imperative singular		—
plural1	semen, seme	semeden, semede
imperative plural	semeth, seme	—
participles	semynge, semende	semed, ysemed

¹ Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

References

• “sẹ̄men, v.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Old Norse sœma, from Proto-Germanic *sōmijaną, thus a doublet of Etymology 1.

Alternative forms

• cemyn, seeme, seemen, seme, semy, semyn

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈseːmən/

Verb

semen (third-person singular simple present semeth, present participle semende, semynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle semed)

1. To seem (to be); to look or be perceived as.
   • 14^th Century, Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, The Knight's Tale

     The brighte swerdes wenten to and fro
     So hidously þat with þe leste strook
     That it semeþ þat it wolde felle an ook

2. To appear; to become visible or discernible.
3. To believe or assume; to develop a belief:
   1. To deem or consider; to form a judgement.
   2. To consider to be appropriate; to judge as suitable.
4. To be appropriate or right; to suit or befit.
5. (rare) To exist; to be extant.

Conjugation

Conjugation of semen (weak in -ed)

infinitive	(to) semen, seme
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	seme	semed
2nd-person singular	semest	semedest
3rd-person singular	semeth	semed
subjunctive singular	seme
imperative singular		—
plural1	semen, seme	semeden, semede
imperative plural	semeth, seme	—
participles	semynge, semende	semed, ysemed

¹ Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Related terms

• bisemen
• seme
• semly

Descendants

• English: seem
• Scots: seem

References

• “sẹ̄men, v.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 3

Inherited from Old English sīman, sēman, from Proto-West Germanic *saumijan; equivalent to seem (“load”) +‎ -en (infinitival suffix).

Alternative forms

• seme

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈseːmən/, /ˈsɛːmən/

Verb

semen (third-person singular simple present semeth, present participle semende, semynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle semed)

1. To load up or with; to place upon.
2. (figuratively, rare) To be burdensome or grievous.

Conjugation

Conjugation of semen (weak in -ed/-de)

infinitive	(to) semen, seme
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	seme	semed, semde
2nd-person singular	semest	semedest, semdest
3rd-person singular	semeth	semed, semde
subjunctive singular	seme
imperative singular		—
plural1	semen, seme	semeden, semede, semden, semde
imperative plural	semeth, seme	—
participles	semynge, semende	semed, semd, ysemed, ysemd

¹ Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

References

• “sẹ̄men, v.(3).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Romanian

Etymology

Back-formation from semăna.

Noun

semen m (plural semeni)

1. fellow human

Declension

	singular			plural
	indefinite	definite		indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	semen	semenul		semeni	semenii
genitive-dative	semen	semenului		semeni	semenilor
vocative	semenule			semenilor

Seychellois Creole

Etymology

From French chemin.

Noun

semen

1. road, street

References

• Danielle D’Offay et Guy Lionnet, Diksyonner Kreol - Franse / Dictionnaire Créole Seychellois - Français

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin sēmen.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsemen/ [ˈse.mẽn]
• Rhymes: -emen
• Syllabification: se‧men

Noun

semen m (uncountable)

1. semen, sperm

   Mi amigo me preguntó si era saludable tragarse su propio semen.

   My friend asked me if it was healthy to swallow his own semen.

   La última vez que estuve en un acto sexual yo era el semen.

   The last time I was in a sex act I was the semen.

Related terms

• inseminar
• semilla
• seminal
• seminoma

Further reading

• “semen”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 10 December 2024

Veps

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *seemen, from a Baltic language, from Proto-Indo-European *séh₁mn̥.

Noun

semen

1. seed

Inflection

Inflection of semen (inflection type 22/homen)
nominative sing.	semen
genitive sing.	semnen
partitive sing.	sement
partitive plur.	semnid
	singular	plural
nominative	semen	semned
accusative	semnen	semned
genitive	semnen	semniden
partitive	sement	semnid
essive-instructive	semnen	semnin
translative	semneks	semnikš
inessive	semnes	semniš
elative	semnespäi	semnišpäi
illative	semnehe	semnihe
adessive	semnel	semnil
ablative	semnelpäi	semnilpäi
allative	semnele	semnile
abessive	semneta	semnita
comitative	semnenke	semnidenke
prolative	sementme	semnidme
approximative I	semnenno	semnidenno
approximative II	semnennoks	semnidennoks
egressive	semnennopäi	semnidennopäi
terminative I	semnehesai	semnihesai
terminative II	semnelesai	semnilesai
terminative III	semnessai	—
additive I	semnehepäi	semnihepäi
additive II	semnelepäi	semnilepäi

Derived terms

• semeta
• semenjaugaine
• semenvilʹlʹ

References

• Zajceva, N. G.; Mullonen, M. I. (2007), “семя”, in Uz’ venä-vepsläine vajehnik / Novyj russko-vepsskij slovarʹ [New Russian–Veps Dictionary]‎^[2], Petrozavodsk: Periodika

Welsh

Etymology

Borrowed from English semen.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɛmɛn/

Noun

semen m (uncountable, not mutable)

1. semen

   Synonym: had

Derived terms

• semenol (“seminal”)

Further reading

• D. G. Lewis, N. Lewis, editors (2005–present), “semen”, in Gweiadur: the Welsh–English Dictionary, Gwerin
• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “semen”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies