gena — Logoi (Latin)

Where it lives

Medicamina faciei femineae 1 · 16.31/10k
Phaedra 10 · 14.06/10k
Achilleis 6 · 8.33/10k
Thebais 49 · 7.84/10k
Agamemnon 4 · 7.19/10k
Amores 11 · 7.04/10k
Silvae 17 · 6.79/10k
Oedipus 4 · 6.74/10k
de bello Gildonico 2 · 6.32/10k
Panegyricus dictus Probino et Olybrio consulibus 1 · 5.88/10k
Troades 4 · 5.87/10k
Appendix Vergiliana 2 · 5.77/10k

Densest 12 of 71 attested works shown, by occurrences per 10,000 attested tokens.

What it meant

1. gena — de Vaan

gena 'cheek, side of the face' [1 ά] (Lex ΧΠ+; usually pL genae) Derivatives: genutmts (dens) [m./adj.] 'back tooth, molar' (Cic.+). Pit. *genu-. PIE *gen-u- [1] 'jaw'. IE cognates: Olr, gin [m. u] 'mouth', W. gen 'cheek', pi. geneu < PCI. *genu~; Skt. harm- [1], YAv. +zanauua [du.], Khot.ysanuva 'jaw' < Ilr. gener *j°i)anu- (with unclear aspirate in Skt); Gn γένυς -υος [f] 'jaw', γένειον (< *γενερ-ιον) 'chin, … — [de Vaan, s.v. gena, p. 271]

2. gĕna — Lewis & Short

gĕna, ae, and more freq. gĕnae, ārum, f.Sanscr. hanus, jaw; ganda, cheek; cf. Gr. ge/nus; Germ. Kinn, lit., the upper part of the face, from the cheek-bones to the eyelids; hence, in gen.,

I a cheek; plur., the cheeks (cf.: bucca, mala).

I Lit.: genae ab inferiore parte tutantur subjectae leniterque eminentes, Cic. N. D. 2, 57, 143; cf. Plin. 11, 37, 57, § 156 sqq.

(a) Plur.: ad haec omnia exprimenda in palpebris etiam et genis est quoddam deserviens iis ministerium, Quint. 11, 3, 77; cf. Plin. 23, 1, 24, § 49: ad genarum crassitudines et oculorum albugines, id. 32, 9, 31, § 98: MVLIERES GENAS NE RADVNTO, Fragm. XII. Tab. ap. Cic. Leg. 2, 23 fin.; Plin. 11, 37, 58, § 157; Fest. s. v. radere, p. 273 Müll.: lacrimae peredere humore exsangues genas, Poët. (perh. Pacuv.) ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 12, 26; cf.: manat rara meas lacrima per genas, Hor. C, 4, 1, 34: lacrimis humectent ora genasque, Lucr. 1, 920; cf. id. 2, 977; 3, 469: pulchrae, Hor. C. 4, 13, 8: nunc primum opacat flore lanugo genas, Pac. ap. Paul. ex Fest. p. 94 Müll. (Trag. Rel. p. 103 Rib.): pilosae, Cic. Pis. 1, 1: erasae, Prop. 4 (5), 8, 26. tum mihi prima genas vestibat flore juventa, Verg. A. 8, 160: leves, Quint. 12, 10, 8: confusa pudore sensi me totis erubuisse genis, Ov. H. 21, 112; Vulg. Cant. 1, 9 al.—

(b) Sing.: atque genua comprimit arta gena, i. e. presses (beseechingly) the cheek close to his knee, Enn. ap. Isid. Orig. 11, 1, 109 dub. (cf. Vahl. Enn. p. 176): genam non leviter perstringere, Suet. Claud. 15 fin.: gena inferior, superior, Plin. 11, 37, 57, § 156 (v. above).—

II Transf.: genae (not in sing.).

A In Ennius for palpebrae, the eyelids: genas Ennius palpebras putat, cum dicit hoc versu: Pandite sulti' genas et corde relinquite somnum, Paul. ex Fest. s. h. v. p. 94 Müll. (Ann. v. 521 Vahl.): imprimitque genae genam, Enn. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 6, 686 (Trag. v. 436 Vahl.).—

B The eye or eyes (poet.): exustaeque tuae mox, Polypheme, genae, Prop. 3, 12 (4, 11), 26: cornicum immeritas eruit ungue genas, id. 4 (5), 5, 16; Ov. P. 2, 8, 66; id. H. 20, 206.—

C The sockets of the eyes: expilatque genis oculos, Ov. M. 13, 562.

In the wild

genas Seneca, Oedipus 1
genis Seneca, Phaedra 1
genas Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia 20.22.p1
genae Seneca, Phaedra 1
genis Ammianus Marcellinus, Res Gestae 21.16.19
genis Statius, Thebais 8.436

6 of 324 attestations shown.

Where it came from

de Vaan, Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Brill 2008) Treated in de Vaan, Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Brill 2008) s.v. gena (scan pp. 271-272; entry #676). Root candidates: *genu-, *kinnu-, *gemt-.