centum Meaning & Definition
What Does Centum Mean?
Centum is an adjective that means Referring to an Indo-European language that did not produce sibilants from a series of Proto-Indo-European palatovelar stops. As a noun, it means Satakam (set of one hundred verses connected by the same metre or topic).
Centum at a Glance
| Part of speech | adjective, noun |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɛntəm/ |
| Plural | centums |
Centum Definition (Adjective)
- Referring to an Indo-European language that did not produce sibilants from a series of Proto-Indo-European palatovelar stops.
Centum as a Noun
- Satakam (set of one hundred verses connected by the same metre or topic).
- Perfect score on a board examination.
Synonyms of Centum
The source does not list synonyms for this entry.
Centum synonyms and antonyms →Word Forms & Grammar
centum (not comparable)
centum (plural centums)
Words That Rhyme With Centum
Origin of Centum
Origin 1: Learned borrowing from Latin centum (“hundred”), attested at least since 1890s. Its use in linguistics is due to it being a canonical example of a word retaining an original velar stop, as opposed to Avestan 𐬯𐬀𐬙𐬆𐬨 (satəm). Doublet of hundred and satem.
Origin 2: Calque of Sanskrit शतक (śataka, “a hundred; a satakam”). The latter meaning is attested at least since 1991 and is explained by 100-point academic grading in India.