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nu·men

(nmən, ny-)

n. pl. nu·mi·na (-mə-nə)

1. A presiding divinity or spirit of a place.

2. A spirit believed by animists to inhabit certain natural phenomena or objects.

3. Creative energy; genius.

[Latin nūmen, nod of the head, divine power, numen.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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