humus

See also: Humus and húmus

English

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Latin humus.

Pronunciation

• enPR: hyo͞o'məs, IPA^(key): /ˈhjuːməs/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uːməs

Noun

humus (usually uncountable, plural humuses)

1. A large group of natural organic compounds, found in the soil, formed from the chemical and biological decomposition of plant and animal residues and from the synthetic activity of microorganisms.

Hypernyms

• organic matter

Meronyms

• humic acid

Derived terms

• humic
• humify
• humuslike
• nonhumus

Translations

group of compounds in soil

• Ahtna: nenʼ łgedi
• Arabic: الدبال (ad-dabāl)
• Armenian: հումուս (hy) (humus)
• Catalan: humus m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 腐殖質 / 腐殖质 (zh) (fǔzhízhì)

• Czech: humus (cs) m
• Dutch: humus (nl)
• Esperanto: humo (eo)
• Finnish: humus (fi), mullas
• French: humus (fr) m
• Galician: humus m
• Georgian: ნეშომპალა (nešomṗala), ჰუმუსი (humusi)
• German: Humus (de) m

  Alemannic German: Hërt m

• Greek: χούμος (el) m (choúmos)
• Indonesian: humus (id)
• Irish: húmas m
• Italian: humus (it) m
• Japanese: 腐植土 (ふしょくど, fushokudo)
• Kazakh: гумус (guwmüws), қарашірік (qaraširik)
• Korean: 부식질(腐植土) (ko) (busikjil)
• Malay: humus
• Māori: paraumu
• Polish: humus (pl) m, próchnica (pl) f
• Portuguese: húmus (pt) m, humo (pt) m
• Romanian: humus (ro) n
• Russian: гу́мус (ru) m (gúmus), перегно́й (ru) m (peregnój)
• Spanish: humus (es) m
• Swedish: humus (sv) c
• Vietnamese: mùn (vi)
• Welsh: deilbridd m, hwmws m

See also

• compost
• mulch

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Turkish humus or Arabic حُمُّص (ḥummuṣ).

Noun

humus (uncountable)

1. Alternative spelling of hummus (“chickpea dip”).

Anagrams

• mu shu

Catalan

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin humus (“earth, soil”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Northern, Balearic, Central, Valencia, Northwestern) [ˈu.mus]

• Audio (Barcelona):

  (file)

Noun

humus m (uncountable)

1. humus

Derived terms

• húmic

Related terms

• humícola
• humífer
• humificació
• inhumació
• inhumar

Further reading

• “humus”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007

Czech

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin humus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈɦumus]
• Hyphenation: hu‧mus

Noun

humus m inan

1. humus

Declension

Declension of humus (hard masculine inanimate)

	singular	plural
nominative	humus	humusy
genitive	humusu	humusů
dative	humusu	humusům
accusative	humus	humusy
vocative	humuse	humusy
locative	humuse, humusu	humusech
instrumental	humusem	humusy

Further reading

• “humus”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “humus”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin humus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɦy.mʏs/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: hu‧mus
• Homophone: hummus (some speakers)

Noun

humus m (uncountable, no diminutive)

1. humus (soil organic matter)
2. (by extension) compost

Derived terms

• humusrijk

Finnish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin humus

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhumus/, [ˈhumus̠]
• Rhymes: -umus
• Syllabification^(key): hu‧mus
• Hyphenation^(key): hu‧mus

Noun

humus

1. humus

Declension

Inflection of humus (Kotus type 39/vastaus, no gradation)
nominative		humus	humukset
genitive		humuksen	humusten humuksien
partitive		humusta	humuksia
illative		humukseen	humuksiin
		singular	plural
nominative		humus	humukset
accusative	nom.	humus	humukset
	gen.	humuksen
genitive		humuksen	humusten humuksien
partitive		humusta	humuksia
inessive		humuksessa	humuksissa
elative		humuksesta	humuksista
illative		humukseen	humuksiin
adessive		humuksella	humuksilla
ablative		humukselta	humuksilta
allative		humukselle	humuksille
essive		humuksena	humuksina
translative		humukseksi	humuksiksi
abessive		humuksetta	humuksitta
instructive		—	humuksin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of humus (Kotus type 39/vastaus, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative humukseni humukseni accusative nom. humukseni humukseni gen. humukseni genitive humukseni humusteni humuksieni partitive humustani humuksiani inessive humuksessani humuksissani elative humuksestani humuksistani illative humukseeni humuksiini adessive humuksellani humuksillani ablative humukseltani humuksiltani allative humukselleni humuksilleni essive humuksenani humuksinani translative humuksekseni humuksikseni abessive humuksettani humuksittani instructive — — comitative — humuksineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative humuksesi humuksesi accusative nom. humuksesi humuksesi gen. humuksesi genitive humuksesi humustesi humuksiesi partitive humustasi humuksiasi inessive humuksessasi humuksissasi elative humuksestasi humuksistasi illative humukseesi humuksiisi adessive humuksellasi humuksillasi ablative humukseltasi humuksiltasi allative humuksellesi humuksillesi essive humuksenasi humuksinasi translative humukseksesi humuksiksesi abessive humuksettasi humuksittasi instructive — — comitative — humuksinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative humuksemme humuksemme accusative nom. humuksemme humuksemme gen. humuksemme genitive humuksemme humustemme humuksiemme partitive humustamme humuksiamme inessive humuksessamme humuksissamme elative humuksestamme humuksistamme illative humukseemme humuksiimme adessive humuksellamme humuksillamme ablative humukseltamme humuksiltamme allative humuksellemme humuksillemme essive humuksenamme humuksinamme translative humukseksemme humuksiksemme abessive humuksettamme humuksittamme instructive — — comitative — humuksinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative humuksenne humuksenne accusative nom. humuksenne humuksenne gen. humuksenne genitive humuksenne humustenne humuksienne partitive humustanne humuksianne inessive humuksessanne humuksissanne elative humuksestanne humuksistanne illative humukseenne humuksiinne adessive humuksellanne humuksillanne ablative humukseltanne humuksiltanne allative humuksellenne humuksillenne essive humuksenanne humuksinanne translative humukseksenne humuksiksenne abessive humuksettanne humuksittanne instructive — — comitative — humuksinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative humuksensa humuksensa accusative nom. humuksensa humuksensa gen. humuksensa genitive humuksensa humustensa humuksiensa partitive humustaan humustansa humuksiaan humuksiansa inessive humuksessaan humuksessansa humuksissaan humuksissansa elative humuksestaan humuksestansa humuksistaan humuksistansa illative humukseensa humuksiinsa adessive humuksellaan humuksellansa humuksillaan humuksillansa ablative humukseltaan humukseltansa humuksiltaan humuksiltansa allative humukselleen humuksellensa humuksilleen humuksillensa essive humuksenaan humuksenansa humuksinaan humuksinansa translative humuksekseen humukseksensa humuksikseen humuksiksensa abessive humuksettaan humuksettansa humuksittaan humuksittansa instructive — — comitative — humuksineen humuksinensa

Derived terms

compounds

• humuskerros
• humuspitoinen
• kangashumus
• kuorihumus

Further reading

• “humus”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2 July 2023

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /y.mys/

• Audio; “l'humus”:

  (file)

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

Noun

humus m (uncountable)

1. humus

Further reading

• “humus”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Indonesian

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˈhumus/ [ˈhu.mʊs]
• Rhymes: -umus
• Syllabification: hu‧mus

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Dutch humus, from Dutch humus.

Noun

humus (uncountable)

1. humus (a large group of natural organic compounds, found in the soil, formed from the chemical and biological decomposition of plant and animal residues and from the synthetic activity of microorganisms)

Derived terms

• humus alfa
• humus anam
• humus gembur
• humus lunak
• humus mentah

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Arabic حُمُّص (ḥummuṣ).

Noun

humus (plural humus-humus)

2. (cooking) hummus (dip made of chickpea paste)

Etymology 3

Borrowed from Toba Batak [Term?].

Noun

humus (plural humus-humus)

1. the fine fibers from the trunk of the enau tree are used as koto strings.

Further reading

• “humus”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

Italian

Alternative forms

• umo
• umus

Etymology

From Latin humus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈu.mus/
• Rhymes: -umus
• Hyphenation: hù‧mus

Noun

humus m (invariable)

1. humus

Further reading

• “humus”, in Vocabolario Treccani on line (in Italian), Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana, 2026

Latin

Alternative forms

• umus
• humum

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *homos, from earlier *xomos, ultimately from *dʰéǵʰōm (“earth”). De Vaan suggests that the o-stem emerged in Latin on the basis of the ambiguous locative form humī, itself from earlier *homei, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰémi. Alternatively, Sihler reconstructs a seperate Proto-Indo-European adjective of the shape *dʰǵʰomós. Cognates include Sanskrit क्ष (kṣa), Ancient Greek χθών (khthṓn), and Old Church Slavonic землꙗ (zemlja). Related to homō (“human being, man”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈhʊ.mʊs]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈuː.mus]

Noun

humus f (genitive humī); second declension

1. ground, floor
2. earth, soil

   Synonyms: terra, solum, tellūs

   • 8 CE, Ovidius, Fasti 4.559–560:

     [Triptolemus] prīmus arābit et seret et culta praemia tollet humō

     [Triptolemus] will be the first to plow and sow and take away the rewards from cultivated soil.
     (See Triptolemus, Demophon of Eleusis, and Celeus for the ancient Greek myths about a royal family who are presented as humble country folk in the Fasti.)

Declension

Second-declension noun, with locative.

	singular	plural
nominative	humus	humī
genitive	humī	humōrum
dative	humō	humīs
accusative	humum	humōs
ablative	humō humū	humīs
vocative	hume	humī
locative	humī	—

Locative used in the sense "on the ground". Irregular ablative singular humū once used by Varro.

Derived terms

• humilis
• humō

Descendants

Unsorted borrowings:

• → Armenian: հումուս (humus)
• → Czech: humus
• → Dutch: humus
• → English: humus
• → Finnish: humus
• → French: humus
  • → Turkish: humus
• → Galician: humus
• → German: Humus
• → Greek: χούμος (choúmos)
• → Irish: húmas
• → Italian: humus, umus, umo
• → Malay: humus
• → Polish: humus
• → Portuguese: húmus, humo
• → Romanian: humus, humă
• → Russian: гу́мус (gúmus)
• → Serbo-Croatian: húmus / ху́мус
• → Spanish: humus
• → Swedish: humus

References

• “humus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “humus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “humus”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.

Polish

humus etymology 1, noun sense 1

humus etymology 2 sense 1

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈxu.mus/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -umus
• Syllabification: hu‧mus

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Arabic حمص.

Alternative forms

• hummus

Noun

humus m inan

2. hummus (Levantine Arab dip made of chickpea paste with various additions, such as olive oil, fresh garlic, lemon juice, and tahini, often eaten with pitta bread, or as a meze)

Declension

Declension of humus

	singular
nominative	humus
genitive	humusu
dative	humusowi
accusative	humus
instrumental	humusem
locative	humusie
vocative	humusie

Etymology 2

Learned borrowing from Latin humus.

Noun

humus m inan (related adjective humusowy)

2. (literary) humus (large group of natural organic compounds, found in the soil, formed from the chemical and biological decomposition of plant and animal residues and from the synthetic activity of microorganisms)

   Synonym: próchnica

Declension

Declension of humus

	singular
nominative	humus
genitive	humusu
dative	humusowi
accusative	humus
instrumental	humusem
locative	humusie
vocative	humusie

Further reading

• “humus”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎^[2] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• “humus”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[3] (in Polish)
• humus in PWN's encyclopedia

Romanian

Etymology

Etymology tree

Latin humus

French humusbor.

Romanian humus

Borrowed from French humus, from Latin humus.

Noun

humus n (uncountable)

1. humus (in the soil)

Declension

singular only	indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	humus	humusul
genitive-dative	humus	humusului
vocative	humusule

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin humus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /xǔːmus/
• Hyphenation: hu‧mus

Noun

húmus m inan (Cyrillic spelling ху́мус)

1. humus

Declension

Declension of humus

	singular
nominative	humus
genitive	humusa
dative	humusu
accusative	humus
vocative	humuse
locative	humusu
instrumental	humusom

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈumus/ [ˈu.mus]
• Rhymes: -umus
• Syllabification: hu‧mus

Noun

humus m (plural humus)

1. hummus
2. humus

Further reading

• “humus”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025

Swedish

Noun

humus c

1. humus

Declension

Declension of humus

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	humus	humus
	definite	humusen	humusens
plural	indefinite	—	—
	definite	—	—

See also

• hummus

References

• “humus”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish)
• “humus”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)
• “humus”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)

Turkish

Etymology 1

Borrowed from French humus.

Noun

humus (definite accusative humusu, plural humuslar)

1. humus

Declension

Declension of humus

singular plural nominative humus humuslar definite accusative humusu humusları dative humusa humuslara locative humusta humuslarda ablative humustan humuslardan genitive humusun humusların Possessive forms nominative singular plural 1st singular humusum humuslarım 2nd singular humusun humusların 3rd singular humusu humusları 1st plural humusumuz humuslarımız 2nd plural humusunuz humuslarınız 3rd plural humusları humusları definite accusative singular plural 1st singular humusumu humuslarımı 2nd singular humusunu humuslarını 3rd singular humusunu humuslarını 1st plural humusumuzu humuslarımızı 2nd plural humusunuzu humuslarınızı 3rd plural humuslarını humuslarını dative singular plural 1st singular humusuma humuslarıma 2nd singular humusuna humuslarına 3rd singular humusuna humuslarına 1st plural humusumuza humuslarımıza 2nd plural humusunuza humuslarınıza 3rd plural humuslarına humuslarına locative singular plural 1st singular humusumda humuslarımda 2nd singular humusunda humuslarında 3rd singular humusunda humuslarında 1st plural humusumuzda humuslarımızda 2nd plural humusunuzda humuslarınızda 3rd plural humuslarında humuslarında ablative singular plural 1st singular humusumdan humuslarımdan 2nd singular humusundan humuslarından 3rd singular humusundan humuslarından 1st plural humusumuzdan humuslarımızdan 2nd plural humusunuzdan humuslarınızdan 3rd plural humuslarından humuslarından genitive singular plural 1st singular humusumun humuslarımın 2nd singular humusunun humuslarının 3rd singular humusunun humuslarının 1st plural humusumuzun humuslarımızın 2nd plural humusunuzun humuslarınızın 3rd plural humuslarının humuslarının

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Arabic حُمُّص (ḥummuṣ).

Noun

humus (definite accusative humusu, plural humuslar)

1. hummus

References

• “humus”, in Turkish dictionaries, Türk Dil Kurumu