Verbum Hodiernum: GENS

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GENS Dictionary Entry

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Today's word is the feminine noun GENS (gen. gentis), which means a "race" or a "clan," a "people," a "nation." It's important to distinguish between this word and the neuter noun genus (gen. generis), which shares a common root with gens, and also has a great deal of overlap in meaning, too. It's worth reading through both of the dictionary entries: gens and genus. One of my favorite idioms with the word gens in Latin is Ubi gentium sumus? "Where in the world (i.e. where of the peoples) are we?"

The gens had a special meaning in ancient Rome: it referred to the Roman families, such as the gens Julia or the gens Cassia.

Here are some examples of today's word in Latin sayings and proverbs; for more information, see the page at the Scala Sapientiae, which contains notes on some of the proverbs cited below:

Cuncti gens una sumus.

Suus cuique genti mos.

Nobiliter vivens et agens, haec nobilis est gens.

Munera per gentes corrumpunt undique mentes.

Tantae molis erat Romanam condere gentem.

Illustrem gentem satis hic habet atque parentem, qui virtute suam nobilitat patriam.

Pauperis est gentis, tenuis puls, farre carentis.

Alta pax gentes alat.

Arx omnium gentium Roma.

Beata gens cuius est Dominus Deus eius.

Bona terra, mala gens.

Dissipa gentes quae bella volunt.

Euntes ergo, docete omnes gentes.

Gens humana ruit per vetitum nefas.

Gens togata.

Iustitia elevat gentem.

Neque quies gentium sine armis, neque arma sine stipendiis.

Nos gentes nationesque distinguimus: Deo una domus est mundus hic totus.

O fortunatas gentes quibus vivere est bibere!

Ubinam gentium sumus?