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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)
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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

『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"])
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→ "『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"])"
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.

『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.
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→ "『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."
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 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"]).
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 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"])."
claim: clm-w59c-la-etymology / type: cultural / updated: 2026-09-04

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