日本語版

amarus (Latin)

concept / concept-word-amarus-la

amarus（ラテン語）

Amarus (Latin) is the Latin adjective amarus. Besides taste, it figuratively describes unpleasantness and sadness, sharp speech, and ill-tempered conduct.

On this page (6 sections)
  1. Overview
  2. Sources for this overview (1)
  3. Topic hubs
  4. Other names
  5. Related entries (10)
  6. Culture (3)
↑

Reading the bitterness

Amarus is a Latin adjective. Lewis & Short’s A Latin Dictionary (hosted by Perseus Digital Library) gives a literal taste sense opposed to dulcis (“sweet”), with examples 『absinthi latex』 (in translation: "wormwood juice") and 『sensus...judicat dulce, amarum』 (in translation: "the senses distinguish sweet from bitter").

The same dictionary gives figurative senses. For things, it has 『calamitous, unpleasant, sad』; for speech, bitter, biting, acrimonious, sarcastic, caustic, or severe; and for conduct, morose, ill-natured, sour, or irritable.

Immediately after the headword, a comparison note juxtaposes Greek ὠμός (“raw”), Sanskrit āmas (“raw”) and amlas (“sour”), German Ampfer (“sorrel,” according to Curtius), and Hebrew mar (“bitter”).

Sources for this overview

  1. amarus — A Latin Dictionary (Lewis & Short), Perseus Digital Library

    Charlton T. Lewis; Charles Short / 1879 / other / full text checked

    Checked for this overview: Presented the taste sense as an antonym of dulcis. / Presented figurative senses extending to speech and conduct. / Introduced the comparison note with other languages.

Other names: amarus (la)

Structured claims — open a section to read each claim's confidence, evidence and limits

Culture (3)

amarus (Latin) is defined in a dictionary as 『I. Lit., of tasto (opp. dulcis): "absinthi latex,"..."sensus...judicat dulce, amarum"』 (in translation: as a literal sense, of taste [as opposed to dulcis, "sweet"]: citing "absinthi latex" ["the juice of wormwood"] ... "sensus...judicat dulce, amarum" ["the senses judge what is sweet, what is bitter"])contextual

Scope: Perseus, Lewis & Short A Latin Dictionary, headword amarus, sense I

As the literal sense, the entry covers use for taste (as opposed to dulcis, "sweet"), citing examples meaning the juice of wormwood and the senses judging what is sweet and what is bitter.
Limitations: The original printed source underlying the Perseus version has not been checked. Only the online display was checked.
Source: amarus — A Latin Dictionary (Lewis & Short), Perseus Digital Library (Charlton T. Lewis; Charles Short, 1879) · full text checked
Show dataconcept-word-amarus-la —is_defined_in_dictionary_as→ (the claim sentence above)
claim: clm-w59c-la-taste / type: cultural / updated: 2026-09-04
amarus (Latin) is presented as: 『II. Trop. A. Calamitous, unpleasant, sad...B. Of speech, bitter, biting, acrimonious, sarcastic, caustic, severe...C. Of conduct, morose, ill-natured, sour, irritable』. The source note says sense A is chiefly poetic.contextual

Scope: Perseus, Lewis & Short, A Latin Dictionary, headword amarus, sense II.

As the figurative senses, the entry lists A. calamitous, unpleasant, sad (chiefly poetic); B. of speech, bitter, biting, acrimonious, sarcastic, caustic, severe; and C. of conduct, morose, ill-natured, sour, irritable.
Limitations: The original printed source underlying the Perseus version has not been checked. Only the online display was checked.
Source: amarus — A Latin Dictionary (Lewis & Short), Perseus Digital Library (Charlton T. Lewis; Charles Short, 1879) · full text checked
Show dataconcept-word-amarus-la —is_presented_as→ (the claim sentence above)
claim: clm-w59c-la-metaphor / type: cultural / updated: 2026-09-04
amarus (Latin) — etymology of the name: The note immediately after the headword says 『cf. ὠμός; Sanscr. āmas = raw, amlas = sour; Germ. Ampfer = sorrel, Curtius; cf. Heb. mar = bitter』 (in translation: comparing with Greek ὠμός ["raw"], Sanskrit āmas ["raw"] and amlas ["sour"], German Ampfer ["sorrel", per Curtius], and Hebrew mar ["bitter"]).contextual

Scope: Perseus, Lewis & Short, A Latin Dictionary, headword amarus, comparison note immediately after the headword.

Note: This records only the comparison given by Lewis & Short; it does not independently add a reconstructed Proto-Indo-European form.

The note immediately after the headword compares the word with Greek ὠμός (raw), Sanskrit āmas (raw) and amlas (sour), German Ampfer (sorrel, per Curtius), and Hebrew mar (bitter).
Limitations: The original printed source underlying the Perseus version has not been checked. Only the online display was checked.
Source: amarus — A Latin Dictionary (Lewis & Short), Perseus Digital Library (Charlton T. Lewis; Charles Short, 1879) · full text checked
Show dataconcept-word-amarus-la —has_name_etymology→ (the claim sentence above)
claim: clm-w59c-la-etymology / type: cultural / updated: 2026-09-04

↑ Top of page · ← Encyclopedia (English entries)