English
genius locorum
Genius locorum comes from Latin genius locorum ‘tutelary spirit of the places’, and goes back to Old Latin stlocus.
- Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEstlocus
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElocus‘place’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEgenius locorum‘tutelary spirit of the places’employing genitive plural of locus
- Englishtodaysame form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEstlocus
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElocus‘place’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEgenius locorum‘tutelary spirit of the places’employing genitive plural of locus
- Englishtodaysame form
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *stel- ‘to put, place, locate’
stole, install, stall, stool, apostle, stalk, stale, epistle, stele, apostolate, stela, stell, stolid, 25 more
through Old Latin stlocus
allowance, locality, allocate, milieu, locale, collocation, 9 more
through Latin locus ‘place’
local, allow, location, locate, lieu, loco, locus, locator, locative, 15 more
Today it means
noun A single spirit or minor deity (genius) which watches over several places, rather than only one.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Old Latin stlocus / genius locorum