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tenuis

Tenuis is a Latin adjective meaning thin, slender, fine, or delicate. It is used to describe objects or qualities with a small thickness or degree, as well as subtler or weaker characteristics. In classical Latin, tenuis could describe physical traits of textiles, bodies, or other tangible things, and it could also carry a metaphorical sense for slightness or faintness.

In linguistics and lexicography, tenuis serves as the source form for related terms in Romance languages and

In taxonomy and biology, Latin adjectives like tenuis appear in species epithets to indicate slender or delicate

See also: tenuity, tenuous.

for
several
English
derivatives.
The
English
words
tenuous
and
tenuit
y
are
descended
from
Latin
tenuis
(or
related
forms
such
as
tenuitas
or
tenuitas)
through
Old
French,
reflecting
the
idea
of
thinness
or
lightness.
As
a
result,
tenuous
is
commonly
used
in
English
to
describe
something
that
is
not
firmly
grounded,
lacks
solidity,
or
is
barely
held
together;
tenuity
refers
to
the
quality
or
state
of
being
thin
or
slight.
morphology,
though
the
exact
sense
depends
on
the
genus
and
gender
of
the
noun
they
modify.
The
term
also
appears
in
historical
and
scholarly
discussions
of
Latin
grammar
and
vocabulary
as
an
example
of
descriptive
adjectives
that
describe
form,
degree,
or
texture.