uomo

Uomo is the Italian noun meaning an adult male human being. In ordinary usage, it denotes a specific man and agrees in gender with other masculine terms. In broader or historical contexts, it can appear in phrases referring to humankind, but in modern Italian such generic reference is more commonly expressed with words like l'umanità or gli esseri umani.

Etymology: The word derives from Latin homo, meaning man or person. It is etymologically related to the English word human and reflects the same semantic root. The feminine form is donna, and the plural is uomini.

Usage and phrases: Common collocations include uomo comune (ordinary man), uomo d’azione (man of action), uomo di fiducia (trusted man), and uomo onesto (honest man). In historical or literary contexts, it may appear as l’uomo in discussions of identity or humanity, though contemporary usage often favors gender-specific terms or neutral expressions.

In science and taxonomy, Homo is the Latin genus name for humans in binomial nomenclature, as in Homo sapiens. This usage is distinct from everyday speech, where the word functions as a standard noun for a male person.

See also: donna; umanità; essere umano; linguaggio.