mentum

From Proto-Italic *mentom, from Proto-Indo-European *men-to-, from *men- (“to project”). Cognate with Proto-Germanic *munþaz.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈmen.tum/, [ˈmɛn̪t̪ʊ̃ˑ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈmen.tum/, [ˈmɛn̪t̪um]

Noun

mentum n (genitive mentī); second declension

1. (literally) the chin; the chin with the hair that grows on it; the beard [ quotations ▼]
2. (transferred sense, architecture) the projecting part of a cornice casting off the rain, the coping [ quotations ▼]

Inflection

Second-declension noun (neuter).

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	mentum	menta
Genitive	mentī	mentōrum
Dative	mentō	mentīs
Accusative	mentum	menta
Ablative	mentō	mentīs
Vocative	mentum	menta

Derived terms

• mentāgra
• mentālis (adjective)
• mentīgō
• mentō
• Mentō

Descendants

• Vulgar Latin: *mentō, *mentōnem
  • Gallo-Italic:
    • Ligurian: manton, menton
    • Piedmontese: manton, menton
  • Gallo-Romance:
    • Old French: menton, mentun
      • French: menton
        • → English: menton
        • → Esperanto: mentono
          • Ido: mentono
        • → Spanish: mentón
  • Occitano-Romance:
    • Catalan: mentó
    • Occitan: menton
• → English: mentum (learned)
• → Italian: mento (learned)
• → Portuguese: mento (learned)
• Sicilian: mentu