latum

Latum is a Latin term best known as the neuter singular form of the adjective latus, meaning broad, wide, or side. In Latin syntax, latum is used with neuter nouns to describe breadth or a side aspect; the masculine form is latus and the feminine form lata. The related noun latus (side or flank) is common in Latin texts, and latum appears primarily as an inflected form of the same adjective rather than as a separate lexical item.

As an inflected form, latum agrees with the noun it modifies in gender, number, and case, following the pattern of 1st/2nd declension adjectives. This makes latum a typical example of how Latin adjectives are used to attribute properties such as width, orientation, or positionality to nouns.

Pronunciation in Classical Latin is generally rendered as roughly la-tum, with a long first syllable: [ˈlaː.tum]. In ecclesiastical practice, pronunciation tends to align with common ecclesiastical Latin phonology, often preserving the same syllabic stress.

Etymology: latum derives from Latin latus, meaning broad or side, and shares its root with related terms in the Latin family such as lata and latus. This lineage underpins several Romance-language derivatives tied to width or side-related concepts, such as lateral.

See also: latus, lata, lateral.