semen

See also: Semen, sémen, semèn, and sêmen

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:

semen

Wikipedia

Etymology

From Middle English semen, from Latin sēmen (“seed”), from Proto-Indo-European *seh₁- (“to sow; plant”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈsiːmən/
Audio (US): (file)
Rhymes: -iːmən
Homophone: seaman

Noun

semen (usually uncountable, plural semens)

A sticky, milky fluid produced in male reproductive organs that contains the reproductive cells.
- 1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 152:
  Then add four drops of crocodile semen, and pass the mixture through a filter.
- 1962 [1959], William S. Burroughs, Naked Lunch, New York: Grove Press, page 80:
  Sharp protein odor of semen fills the air.
- 1981, William Irwin Thompson, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light: Mythology, Sexuality and the Origins of Culture, London: Rider/Hutchinson & Co., page 162:
  In the Sumerian language the word for water also means semen, and since Enki is the god of water, he is therefore the god of semen. In this ode to the Great Father, the land of the Sumerians is literally awash with semen.

Synonyms

(male reproductory fluid): ejaculate, sperm; (slang): jissom, jism, jizz, balljuice, spunk, cum, seed, spurt, spooge, splooge, load, skeet, squirt, nut
See also Thesaurus:semen

Derived terms

Translations

male reproductive fluid

Abkhaz: аӷьаӡ (ağʲadz)
Akkadian: riḫūtu f
Albanian: spermë (sq) f, lëng seminal m
Arabic: مَنِيّ m (maniyy)
Egyptian Arabic: مني m (mani), لبن m (laban) (vulgar)
Armenian: սերմ (hy) (serm), սերմնահեղուկ (hy) (sermnaheġuk)
Asturian: semen (ast) m
Azerbaijani: toxum (az)
Bashkir: мәней (mäniy), аталыҡ орлоғо (atalıq urluğu)
Basque: hazi
Belarusian: спе́рма f (spjérma), се́мя (be) n (sjémja), кнура́ f (knurá), насе́нне n (nasjénnje)
Bengali: বীর্য (bn) (birjo)
Central Bikol: kasit (bcl)
Bulgarian: спе́рма f (spérma), семенна течност f (semenna tečnost)
Burmese: သုက် (my) (suk), သုက်ရည် (suk-rany)
Catalan: esperma (ca) f
Chinese:
Cantonese: 精液 (zing¹ jik⁶), 精 (zing¹)

Hokkien: 精水 (cheng-chúi), 潲 (zh-min-nan) (siâu)

Mandarin: 精液 (zh) (jīngyè), 㞞 / 𪨊 (zh) (sóng)
Czech: semeno (cs) n, ejakulát (cs) m, sperma (cs) n
Old Czech: chám m
Danish: sæd (da)
Dutch: sperma (nl)
Dzongkha: ཐིག་ལེ (thig le)
Egyptian:

(mtwt)
Esperanto: ejakulaĵo, spermo
Estonian: seemnevedelik, sperma (et)
Faroese: sáð n, spin n
Finnish: siemenneste (fi), sperma (fi)
French: semence (fr) f, sperme (fr) m
Galician: seme (gl) m
Gamilaraay: barabin
Georgian: სპერმა (sṗerma), თესლი (ka) (tesli) (mildly vulgar)
German: Samen (de) m, Sperma (de) n
Greek: σπέρμα (el) n (spérma)
Ancient Greek: θορός m (thorós)
Greenlandic: anisooq, peersaq
Gujarati: વીર્ય (vīrya)
Hebrew: זֶרַע (he) m (zera'), זִרְמָה f (zirma)
Hindi: वीर्य (hi) m (vīrya), शुक्र (hi) m (śukra), बीज (hi) (bīj) (seed), धात (hi) (dhāt), धातु (hi) (dhātu), मनी (hi) (manī), रेतस् (hi) (retas)
Hungarian: ondó (hu)
Icelandic: sæði (is) n, sáð n, sáðvökvi m, brundur m
Indonesian: air mani, semen (id), sperma (id)
Irish: seamhan m, síol m
Italian: sperma (it) m, seme (it) m
Japanese: 精液 (ja) (せいえき, seieki), ザーメン (ja) (zāmen)
Karok: síshaf
Kazakh: ұрық (urıq), шәует (šäwet)
Khmer: ទឹកកាម (km) (tɨk kaam)
Korean: 정액(精液) (ko) (jeong'aek), (slang) 좆물 (jonmul),
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: تۆواو (towaw)

Northern Kurdish: tovav f
Kyrgyz: сперма (ky) (sperma)
Lao: ອະສຸຈິ (ʼa su chi), ນ້ຳກາມ (nam kām)
Latin: sēmen n
Latvian: sēkla (lv) f, sperma f
Lithuanian: sperma f, sėkla (lt) f
Macedonian: сперма f (sperma)
Malay: mani (ms)
Malayalam: ശുക്ലം (ml) (śuklaṁ)
Maltese: liba f
Manchu: ᠣᠣᡵᡳ (oori)
Māori: waitātea
Marathi: रेत (ret)
Middle English: seed
Navajo: íígąsh
Norwegian: sæd m
Old English: sǣd n
Persian: منی (fa) (mani), اسپرم (fa) (esperm)
Middle Persian: šuhr
Polish: sperma (pl) f, nasienie (pl) n
Portuguese: sêmen (pt) m, sémen (pt) m
Romanian: spermă (ro) f
Russian: се́мя (ru) n (sémja), спе́рма (ru) f (spérma), эякуля́т (ru) m (ejakulját), молофья́ (ru) f (molofʹjá) (vulgar)
Sami:
Inari Sami: siemâkolgos

Northern Sami: siemagolggus

Skolt Sami: siõmkoolǥâs
Sanskrit: रेतस् (sa) n (retas)
Serbo-Croatian: sjeme (sh) n, ejakulat (sh) m, svršotina f
Cyrillic: сперма f

Latin: sperma (sh) f
Shan: ၼမ်ႉၸိူဝ်ႉ (nâ̰m tsô̰e)
Slovak: sperma f, semeno n
Slovene: séme (sl) n, spêrma (sl) f
Spanish: semen (es) m, simiente (es) f
Sumerian: 𒀀 (a)
Swahili: shahawa, manii (sw)
Swedish: säd (sv),sädesvätska (sv), sperma (sv), sagge (sv) c
Tagalog: punlay, tabod, tamod, semilya, danupunlay
Tajik: тухмӣ (tuxmi), манӣ (mani)
Tamil: விந்து (ta) (vintu)
Telugu: వీర్యము (te) (vīryamu), రేతస్సు (te) (rētassu)
Thai: อสุจิ (th) (à-sù-jì), น้ำกาม (th) (náam-gaam)
Tibetan: ཐིག་ལེ (thig le)
Tocharian B: śukkär
Tsou: nan'i
Turkish: meni (tr), sperm (tr), döl (tr), atmık (tr)
Ukrainian: спе́рма f (spérma), сі́м'я f (símʺja), еякуля́т m (ejakulját), насі́ння (uk) n (nasínnja)
Urdu: ویریہ m (vīrya), منی
Uzbek: sperma (uz)
Vietnamese: tinh dịch (vi) (精液)
Welsh: semen (cy) m, had (cy) m (literally “seed”)
Yiddish: זוימען (zoymen)
Zazaki: sêmeni

semen (fluid) — see sperm

Anagrams

menes, mense, mesen, mesne, neems

Asturian

Verb

semen

third-person plural present indicative of semar
third-person plural present subjunctive of semar

Catalan

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin sēmen.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): (Northern) [ˈse̞.mən]
IPA^(key): (Balearic, Central) [ˈsɛ.mən]
IPA^(key): (Valencia, Northwestern) [ˈse.men]
Audio (Barcelona): (file)

Noun

semen m (plural sèmens or sémens)

semen, sperm
Synonym: esperma

Czech

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈsɛmɛn]

Noun

semen n

genitive plural of semeno

Indonesian

Indonesian Wikipedia has an article on:

semen

Wikipedia ^id

Etymology 1

Learned borrowing from Latin sēmen (“semen, seed”), from Proto-Indo-European *seh₁- (“to sow; plant”).

Pronunciation

(Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˈsɛmɛn/ [ˈsɛ.mɛn]
Rhymes: -ɛmɛn
Syllabification: se‧men

Noun

sèmèn (plural semen-semen)

(biology) semen
Synonyms: air mani, benih mani

Alternative forms

sémen (Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore)

Derived terms

Related terms

Etymology 2

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *kh₂eyd-

Proto-Indo-European *-eti

Proto-Indo-European *kh₂éydeti

Proto-Italic *kaidō

Latin caedō

Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥

Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥tom

Proto-Italic *-mentom

Latin -mentum

Latin caementum

Old French cimentbor.

Middle Dutch ciment

Dutch cementbor.

Indonesian semen

Borrowed from Dutch cement (“cement”), from Old French ciment, from Latin caementum (“quarry stone; stone chips for making mortar”), from caedō (“I cut, hew”). Cognate with Afrikaans sement (“cement”). The sense “cementum” is a semantic loan from English cement.

Pronunciation

(Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /səˈmɛn/ [səˈmen]
Rhymes: -ɛn
Syllabification: se‧men

Noun

sêmèn (plural semen-semen)

Alternative forms

(cement): simen (Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore)
(cementum): simentum (Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore)

Derived terms

Etymology 3

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

(Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /səˈmɛn/ [səˈmen]
Rhymes: -ɛn
Syllabification: se‧men

Noun

sêmèn (plural semen-semen)

(fashion) batik pattern depicting a garuda with two wings, a tail, and a mountain, generally dark blue with a gold pattern

Latin

Latin Wikipedia has an article on:

semen

Wikipedia ^la

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *seh₁-

Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥

Proto-Indo-European *séh₁mn̥

Proto-Italic *sēmn̥

Latin sēmen

Inherited from Proto-Italic *sēmn̥, from Proto-Indo-European *séh₁mn̥.

Pronunciation

(Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈseː.mɛn]
(modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈsɛː.men]

Noun

sēmen n (genitive sēminis); third declension

seed (of plants)
Sēmen manū spargere. ― To scatter seed by hand.
- 106 BCE – 43 BCE, Cicero, Cato Maior de Senectute 15.52:
  Omittō enim vim ipsam omnium, quae generantur ē terrā; quae ex fīcī tantulō grānō aut ex acinī vīnāceō aut ex cēterārum frūgum aut stirpium minūtissimīs sēminibus tantōs truncōs rāmōsque prōcreet.
  For I pass over the inherent power of all things that are born of the earth — [that force] which, from so small a fig seed or grape-stone, or the tiniest seeds of other fruits and plants, can bring forth such massive trunks and branches.
  (Note the distinction made between a comparatively large granum and the smallest sēmen.)
- 8 CE, Ovidius, Fasti 5.221–222:
  ‘prīma per immēnsās sparsī nova sēmina gentēs!
  ūnīus tellūs ante colōris erat.’
  “First [it was] I [who] scattered new seeds throughout countless nations!
  Previously the earth was of [but] one color.”
  (The poetic voice is that of Flora (mythology).)
- LVCAS, IIX V:
  "Īvit sator quīdam satum suum sēmen..."
  "A farmer went out to sow his seed..."
semen
graft
offspring
cause
(poetic) seed (of the elements of other bodies (of fire, water, stones, etc.))
- c. 99 BCE – 55 BCE, Lucretius, De rerum natura 6:
  et ignis sēmina convolvunt ē nūbibus.
  and the seeds of fire roll from the clouds.

Declension

Third-declension noun (neuter, imparisyllabic non-i-stem).

	singular	plural
nominative	sēmen	sēmina
genitive	sēminis	sēminum
dative	sēminī	sēminibus
accusative	sēmen	sēmina
ablative	sēmine	sēminibus
vocative	sēmen	sēmina

Derived terms

Descendants

Italian: seme
Romansh: sem
Venetan: sema
→ Catalan: semen
→ English: semen
→ Middle Irish: semen
- Irish: seamhan
→ Galician: seme
→ Portuguese: sêmen, sémen (Portugal)
→ Spanish: semen, ⇒ semilla

References

“semen”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
“semen”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
"semen", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
Carl Meißner; Henry William Auden (1894), Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
- the elements and first beginnings: elementa et tamquam semina rerum
- to sow: serere; semen spargere

Maltese

Root
s-m-n
10 terms

Alternative forms

semel

Etymology

Inherited from Arabic سَمْن (samn).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈsɛ.mɛn/
Rhymes: -ɛmɛn

Noun

semen m

butter
Synonym: butir

Mauritian Creole

Noun

semen

alternative spelling of semenn (“week”)

References

Baker, Philip; Hookoomsing, Vinesh Y. (1987), Diksiyoner kreol morisyeṅ [Mauritian Creole Dictionary] (in French and English), Paris: L'Harmattan, →ISBN, page 290

Middle English

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old English sēman, from Proto-West Germanic *sōmijan, from Proto-Germanic *sōmijaną.

Alternative forms

seme, semi

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈseːmən/

Verb

semen (third-person singular simple present semeth, present participle semynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle semed)

(Early Middle English) To sort out; to resolve, subdue, or confirm.

Conjugation

Conjugation of *semen* (weak in -ede)
	present tense	past tense
infinitive	(to) semen, seme

1st-person singular	seme	semed(e)
2nd-person singular	semest	semedest
3rd-person singular	semeth	semed(e)
subjunctive singular	seme	semed(e)
imperative singular	seme	—

plural¹	semen, seme	semeden, semed(e)
imperative plural	semeth, seme	—

participles	semynge, semende	semed, ysemed

¹ Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

References

“sẹ̄men, v.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Old Norse sœma, from Proto-Germanic *sōmijaną, thus a doublet of Etymology 1.

Alternative forms

cemyn, seeme, seemen, seme, semy, semyn

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈseːmən/

Verb

semen (third-person singular simple present semeth, present participle semynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle semed)

To seem (to be); to look or be perceived as.
- 1387–1400, [Geoffrey] Chaucer, “The Knẏghtes Tale”, in The Tales of Caunt́bury (Hengwrt Chaucer; Peniarth Manuscript 392D), Aberystwyth, Ceredigion: National Library of Wales, published [c. 1400–1410], →OCLC, folio 23, recto:
  The brıghte swerdes / wenten to and fro / So hıdouſlẏ / that wıth the leeſte ſtrook / It ſemed / as ıt wolde felle an ook
  The gleaming swords went back and forth / so violently that with the smallest stroke, / it seemed like it'd topple an oak.
- c. 1471, Joh[annes] ﬀorteſcue, “Heꝛe aft͛ ys schewyd what haꝛme would come to Englond yf the cȏmons theꝛof weꝛe pooꝛe”, in [Governance of England] (Bodleian MS. Digby 145)‎^[2], Adrıan[us] ﬀoꝛteſcu, published 1532, folio [149, recto]; republished at Oxford: Digital Bodleian, 16 August 2022:
  But yet often tymes thay haue gone w^t thaym thoꝛowgh manaſys / oꝛ els the ſame poor mēn would haue takyn theır goodꝰ / wheꝛyn ıt ſemyth that pou͛tye hath byn the hole ⁊ cheffe cauſe off al ſuche ryſyng
  But even then, they've supported them because of threats: / otherwise the same poor men would've taken their possessions. So therefore it seems like poverty is the whole and main cause of every such rising.
To appear; to become visible or discernible.
To believe or assume; to develop a belief:
1. To deem or consider; to form a judgement.
2. To consider to be appropriate; to judge as suitable.
To be appropriate or right; to suit or befit.
(rare) To exist; to be extant.

Conjugation

Conjugation of *semen* (weak in -ede)
	present tense	past tense
infinitive	(to) semen, seme

1st-person singular	seme	semed(e)
2nd-person singular	semest	semedest
3rd-person singular	semeth	semed(e)
subjunctive singular	seme	semed(e)
imperative singular	seme	—

plural¹	semen, seme	semeden, semed(e)
imperative plural	semeth, seme	—

participles	semynge, semende	semed, ysemed

¹ Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Related terms

Descendants

English: seem
Scots: seem

References

“sẹ̄men, v.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 3

Inherited from Old English sīman, sēman, from Proto-West Germanic *saumijan; equivalent to sem (“load”) +‎ -en (infinitival suffix).

Alternative forms

seme

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈseːmən/, /ˈsɛːmən/

Verb

semen (third-person singular simple present semeth, present participle semynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle semed)

To load up or with; to place upon.
(figuratively, rare) To be burdensome or grievous.

Conjugation

Conjugation of *semen* (weak in -ede/-de)
	present tense	past tense
infinitive	(to) semen, seme

1st-person singular	seme	semed(e), semde
2nd-person singular	semest	semedest, semdest
3rd-person singular	semeth	semed(e), semde
subjunctive singular	seme	semed(e), semde
imperative singular	seme	—

plural¹	semen, seme	semeden, semed(e), semden, semde
imperative plural	semeth, seme	—

participles	semynge, semende	semed, ysemed

¹ Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

References

“sẹ̄men, v.(3).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Romanian

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *seh₁-

Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥

Proto-Indo-European *séh₁mn̥

Proto-Italic *sēmn̥

Latin sēmen

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Indo-European *-yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu.

Proto-Italic *-ājō

Proto-Italic *-āō

Latin -ō

Latin sēmināre

Romanian semănabf.

Romanian semen

Back-formation from semăna.

Noun

semen m (plural semeni)

fellow human

Declension

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	semen	semenul	semeni	semenii
genitive-dative	semen	semenului	semeni	semenilor
vocative	semenule		semenilor

Seychellois Creole

Etymology

From French chemin.

Noun

semen

road, street

References

D'Offay, Danielle; Lionnet, Guy (1982), Diksyonner kreol-franse [Creole-French Dictionary] (in French), Hamburg: Buske, →ISBN

Spanish

Spanish Wikipedia has an article on:

semen

Wikipedia ^es

Alternative forms

(misspelling) cemen

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *seh₁-

Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥

Proto-Indo-European *séh₁mn̥

Proto-Italic *sēmn̥

Latin sēmenlbor.

Spanish semen

Learned borrowing from Latin sēmen.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈsemen/ [ˈse.mẽn]
Rhymes: -emen
Syllabification: se‧men

Noun

semen m (plural sémenes)

(uncountable) semen, sperm
Mi amigo me preguntó si era saludable tragarse su propio semen.
My friend asked me if it was healthy to swallow his own semen.

La última vez que estuve en un acto sexual yo era el semen.
The last time I was in a sex act I was the semen.

Related terms

Veps

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *seemen, from a Baltic language, from Proto-Indo-European *séh₁mn̥.

Noun

semen

seed

Inflection

Inflection of semen (inflection type 22/homen)
nominative sing.	semen
genitive sing.	semnen
partitive sing.	sement
partitive plur.	semnid
	singular	plural
nominative	semen	semned
accusative	semnen	semned
genitive	semnen	semniden
partitive	sement	semnid
essive-instructive	semnen	semnin
translative	semneks	semnikš

inessive	semnes	semniš
elative	semnespäi	semnišpäi
illative	semnehe	semnihe

adessive	semnel	semnil
ablative	semnelpäi	semnilpäi
allative	semnele	semnile

abessive	semneta	semnita
comitative	semnenke	semnidenke
prolative	sementme	semnidme

approximative I	semnenno	semnidenno
approximative II	semnennoks	semnidennoks
egressive	semnennopäi	semnidennopäi

terminative I	semnehesai	semnihesai
terminative II	semnelesai	semnilesai
terminative III	semnessai	—

additive I	semnehepäi	semnihepäi
additive II	semnelepäi	semnilepäi

Derived terms

References

Zajceva, N. G.; Mullonen, M. I. (2007), “семя”, in Uz’ venä-vepsläine vajehnik / Novyj russko-vepsskij slovarʹ [New Russian–Veps Dictionary]‎^[3], Petrozavodsk: Periodika

Welsh

Etymology

Borrowed from English semen.

Pronunciation

(North Wales) IPA^(key): /ˈsɛmɛn/
(South Wales) IPA^(key): /ˈseːmɛn/, /ˈsɛmɛn/

Noun

semen m (not mutable, uncountable)

semen
Synonym: had

Derived terms

semenol (“seminal”)

English

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Anagrams

Asturian

Verb

Catalan

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Further reading

Czech

Pronunciation

Noun

Indonesian

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Noun

Alternative forms

Derived terms

Related terms

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Noun

Alternative forms

Derived terms

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

Noun

Further reading

Latin

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Declension

Derived terms

Descendants

References

Maltese

Alternative forms

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Mauritian Creole

Noun

References

Middle English

Etymology 1

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

Verb

Conjugation

References

Etymology 2

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

Verb

Conjugation

Related terms

Descendants

References

Etymology 3

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

Verb

Conjugation

References

Romanian

Etymology

Noun

Declension

Seychellois Creole

Etymology

Noun

References