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Glite Dictionary
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colonus

colonus

9.9
A farmer who lives on and works land in ancient Rome
  • noun
  • /kəˈloʊnəs/
  • Archaic
translation icon : colono
  • In ancient Rome, a colonus worked the land in exchange for a share of the crops.

Examples

  • The historian described how the colonus played a vital role in rural society.

  • Many coloni settled in the provinces of ancient Rome.

  • Old texts often mention the colonus as a symbol of honest labor.

  • The colonus worked tirelessly in the fields.

  • In ancient Rome, a colonus worked the land in exchange for a share of the crops.

  • The historian described how the colonus played a vital role in rural society.

  • Many coloni settled in the provinces of ancient Rome.

Synonyms

settler
vscolonus
108 4.1

A person who moves to a new area to live and set up a home

is used mainly in ancient or historical contexts rather than modern migration
colonist
vscolonus
59 4.4

A person who moves to live in a new colony from another country

is a local historical farmer or resident rather than incoming people from abroad

Surface Forms

colonus singular
coloni plural

Etymology

The word colonus comes from the Latin verb colere, which means 'to till' or 'to care for the land'. So a colonus was originally a farmer or settler who worked the soil, and you can remember it by thinking of English words like 'cultivate' and 'colony' that share the same root.