entry
inhume
/ɪnˈhjuːm/to bury in a grave
From Latin in- (in) + Latin humus (earth).
from Latin inhumare "to bury," literally "to put into the ground,"
from Latin inhumare "to bury," literally "to put into the ground,"
Word Ancestry
from Latin inhumare "to bury," literally "to put into the ground,"
from Latin inhumare "to bury," literally "to put into the ground,"
Burials have a way of making language feel heavy, and this verb is no exception. Romans used inhumare for the blunt physical act of putting someone into the earth: in- for “into,” humus for “soil.” That same humus turns up in words about earthiness and lowliness, like humble and humility, which is a nice little reminder that what is buried is literally lowered. English borrowed the learned Latin form around 1600, so inhume has always sounded a bit like it came from a lawyer’s desk or a church ledger rather than a village graveyard. If bury is the everyday shovel, inhume is the polished brass plaque on the shovel handle.
The Story
Burials have a way of making language feel heavy, and this verb is no exception. Romans used inhumare for the blunt physical act of putting someone into the earth: in- for “into,” humus for “soil.” That same humus turns up in words about earthiness and lowliness, like humble and humility, which is a nice little reminder that what is buried is literally lowered. English borrowed the learned Latin form around 1600, so inhume has always sounded a bit like it came from a lawyer’s desk or a church ledger rather than a village graveyard. If bury is the everyday shovel, inhume is the polished brass plaque on the shovel handle.
Kin & Kindred
From 'in-'·in, into, within
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From 'humus'·earth, soil
Derived Terms
English words from this root