posthumous
pronunciation
How to pronounce posthumous in British English:
UK [ˈpɒstjʊməs]
How to pronounce posthumous in American English:
US [ˈpɑstʃəməs]
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- Adjective:
- occurring or coming into existence after a person's death
Word Origin
- posthumous
- posthumous: [17] Latin postumus functioned as a superlative form of post ‘after’, and meant ‘last of all’. It was often applied to a child ‘born after the death of its father’, as being the final offspring that man could possibly have, and so began to pick up associations with the ‘period after death’. This led in turn to the perception of a link with humus ‘ground’ (source of English humble and humus) and humāre ‘bury’, and so postumus became posthumus. English adapted it direct from Latin.
- posthumous (adj.)
- mid-15c., "born after the death of the originator" (author or father), from Late Latin posthumus, from Latin postumus "last, last-born," superlative of posterus "coming after, subsequent" (see posterior). Altered in Late Latin by association with Latin humare "to bury," suggesting death; the one born after the father's death obviously being the last. An Old English word for this was æfterboren, literally "after-born." Related: Posthumously.
Example
- 1. It can take innumerable forms , from buffoonery to the pursuit of posthumous fame .
- 2. I doubt , in any case , that he was alluding to philanthropy 's posthumous pardoning power .
- 3. Just hours after her family agreed to have her life support switched off , they changed their minds and asked doctors if they could harvest her eggs for posthumous reproduction .
- 4. There were at least two of these massive posthumous albums of notes : the other one that survives is the famous codex atlanticus in the ambrosian library in milan , full of his inventions and studies of mechanics and mathematics .