mensuram

Mensuram is the accusative singular form of the Latin noun mensura, which means measure, size, extent, or standard of measurement. The word belongs to the first declension feminine, with the full paradigm including: nominative mensura, genitive mensurae, dative mensurae, accusative mensuram, ablative mensurā; plural forms are nominative mensurae, genitive mensurarum, dative mensuris, accusative mensuras, ablative mensuris.

Etymology and related forms: Mensura derives from the verb metiri, to measure, through the noun-forming suffix -ura. The related adjective mensūrus (measure-related) appears in some compounds, and the root mens- is connected to the broader semantic field of measurement and extent. A closely related concept in Latin is mensūra itself, used to denote both the act of measuring and the resulting quantity, unit, or standard.

Usage: In classical Latin, mensura denotes measurement or a defined extent. Mensuram occurs when the noun is in the accusative, typically as the direct object of a verb or in expressions involving determining or assigning a quantity. The phrase mensura temporis, for example, expresses “the measure of time.” Other common collocations include references to a standard, limit, or dimension within a given context, such as architecture, land surveying, or mechanics, where precise quantity or size is specified.

Modern context: Mensura is primarily of interest to students and scholars of Latin language, philology, and Roman-era texts. The form mensuram is encountered in inscriptions and classical prose where a quantity or dimension is being stated or acted upon.

See also: mensura, metiri, measurement in Latin terminology.