hŭmĭlis, e, adj. [humus; like χαμαλός from χαμαί, on the ground, i. e.], low, lowly, small, slight (class.; esp. freq. in the trop. signif.).
I Lit.: arbores et vites et ea quae sunt humiliora neque se tollere a terra altius possunt, Cic. Tusc. 5, 13, 37; cf.: turrim humilem parvamque fecerant, Caes. B. C. 2, 8, 1 sq.: humilior munitio, id. ib. 3, 63, 2: (naves) humiliores quam quibus in nostro mari uti consuevimus, id. B. G. 5, 1, 2: humiles habitare casas, Verg. E. 2, 29: domus, Hor. C. 3, 1, 22: postes, Ov. M. 8, 639: arcus, id. ib. 3, 30: arae, Val. Fl. 3, 426: virgas humilis mordere salicti, Juv. 11, 67: Forentum, low , situated in the plain , Hor. C. 3, 4, 16; so, Myconos, Ov. M. 7, 463: Italia, Verg. A. 3, 522: humillimo solo aqua diutissime immorata, Just. 2, 1 med. : avi similis, quae circum litora, circum Piscosos scopulos humilis volat aequora juxta, flies low , Verg. A. 4, 255; cf.: decisis humilis pennis, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 50: potest ex deformi humilique corpusculo exire formosus animus ac magnus, small , diminutive , Sen. Ep. 66: brevi atque humili corpore homines, Gell. 19, 13, 3; Curt. 7, 4: humiles Cleonae, little , petty , Ov. M. 6, 417 (in Ptolem. πόλις οὐ μεγάλη): Troja, id. ib. 15, 424: ipse humili designat moenia fossa, i. e. slight , shallow , Verg. A. 7, 157; so, fossa, Tac. A. 1, 61; cf. radix, Plin. Ep. 8, 20, 5.
II Trop.
A As respects rank, birth, fortune, worth, consideration, etc., low , base , mean , humble , obscure , poor , needy , insignificant (cf.: supplex, summissus, demissus, abjectus): ut si parentibus nati sint humilibus, Cic. Lael. 17, 90: humiles nati (shortly after: trivio conceptus et educatus stercore), Phaedr. 1, 27, 2: humiles et obscuri homines, Cic. Div. 1, 40, 88; id. Quint. 31, 95: humillimus homo de plebe, Liv. 3, 19, 9; cf.: humilis in plebe et ideo ignobilis puerpera, Plin. 7, 36, 36, § 121: ne latos fines parare studeant potentioresque humiliores possessionibus expellant, Caes. B. G. 6, 22, 3: humiliores, opp. opulentiores, Hirt. B. G. 8, 51 fin. : hos Suevi vectigales sibi fecerunt ac multo humiliores infirmioresque redegerunt, Caes. B. G. 4, 3 fin. : homines humiles, opp. amplissimi viri, Balb. et Opp. ap. Cic. Att. 9, 8, A, 1: satis superque humilis est, qui, etc., Liv. 3, 53, 9: junge tuis humiles, ambitiose, manus, of the servants , Ov. A. A. 2, 254: civitas ignobilis atque humilis, Caes. B. G. 5, 28, 1: humilem sane relinquunt et minime generosum, ut ita dicam, ortum amicitiae, Cic. Lael. 9, 29: Viridomarus, quem Caesar ex humili loco ad summam dignitatem perduxerat, Caes. B. G. 7, 39, 1: qui cogitationes suas abjecerunt in rem tam humilem atque contemptam, Cic. Lael. 9, 32; cf.: nihil abjectum, nihil humile cogitant, id. Fin. 5, 20, 57: aut nulla aut humili aliqua arte praediti, id. Arch. 5, 10: humiles et sordidae curae, Plin. Ep. 1, 3, 3: rei pictor, Plin. 35, 10, 37, § 120 (dub.; Jan. floridissimus): humilis atque obsoletus vestitus, Nep. Ages. 8: agna, poor , humble , Hor. C. 2, 17, 32: fortuna, Juv. 6, 287: domus, id. 11, 171.—Hence, subst.: hŭmĭle , is, n., that which is humble or base , a low station : ex humili potens, Hor. C. 3, 30, 12: quales ex humili magna ad vestigia rerum extollit Fortuna, Juv. 3, 39.— Prov.: Humiles laborant ubi potentes dissident, Phaedr. 1, 30, 1.—
2 Of low , mean language: iambus frequentissimus est in iis, quae demisso atque humili sermone dicuntur. Cic. Or. 58, 196: sermo, Hor. A. P. 229; cf.: neque humilem et abjectam orationem nec nimis altam et exaggeratam probat, Cic. Or. 57, 192: verbum, id. Brut. 79, 274: humilia et vulgaria verba, Quint. 10, 1, 9: translatio, id. 8, 6, 5: si quis sublimia humilibus misceat, id. 8, 3, 60: quae humilia circa res magnas, apta circa minores videntur, id. 8, 3, 18: humile et quotidianum sermonis genus, id. 11, 1, 6: of the author himself: Macer ... humilis, i. e. commonplace , id. 10, 1, 87: nil parvum aut humili modo, Nil mortale loquar, Hor. C. 3, 25, 17.—
B Of mind or character, low , mean , base , abject : qui umquam apparitor tam humilis? tam abjectus? Cic. Phil. 2, 32, 82: ut ille tum humilis, ut demissus erat! id. Att. 2, 21, 3: humillimus assentator, Vell. 2, 83, 1: neque nos simus tam humiles, ut quae laudamus inutilia credamus, Quint. 11, 1, 13: privata deduci superbo Non humilis mulier triumpho, Hor. C. 1, 37, 32: succumbere doloribus eosque humili animo imbecilloque ferre miserum est, Cic. Fin. 1, 15, 49: animi, Lucr. 6, 52: si prece et obsecratione humili ac supplici utemur, Cic. Inv. 1, 16, 22; 1, 56 init. ; cf.: fracto animo, atque humili aliquem supplicare, id. Planc. 20, 50: humillimae preces, Suet. Vit. Luc.: pavor, Verg. G. 1, 331; cf. metus, Val. Fl. 3, 394.—Hence, adv.: hŭmĭlĭter , low , deeply.
1 Lit. (so post-Aug. and very rare): in loco clivoso humilius rami arborum servandi sunt, in plano altius, Pall. 3, 13, 3: eadem facta claritate vel obscuritate facientium vel tolluntur altissime vel humillime deprimuntur, very deeply , Plin. Ep. 6, 24, 1. —
2 Trop. (acc. to II. B.), basely , meanly , abjectly , humbly (class.): non est ausus elate et ample loqui, cum humiliter demisseque sentiret, Cic. Tusc. 5, 9, 24: aut servit humiliter, aut superbe dominatur, Liv. 24, 25, 8: servire alicui, id. 45, 32, 5: audacter territas, humiliter placas, Auct. Her. 4, 20, 28: animose paupertatem ferre, humiliter infamiam, Sen. Ep. 120 med.