munus

Meaning

1. (declension-3) a service, office, employment
2. (declension-3) a burden, duty, obligation
3. (declension-3) a service, favor
4. (declension-3) a spectacle, public show
5. (declension-3, in-plural) a public building made at the expense of an individual
6. (declension-3) a gift

Concepts

gift

🎁

function

present

tribute

service

spectacle

👓

Synonyms

donum

🎁

dōnum

Translations

dono

🎁

χάρισμα

don

🎁

regal

🎁

cadeau

🎁

regalo

🎁

présent

fonction

δώρο

Geschenk

🎁

Präsent

🎁

presente

Talent

Spende

Pronounced as (IPA)

[ˈmuː.nʊs]

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *moinos.
Like mūnia (“duties”), it is derived from Proto-Indo-European *moy-nós, from *mey- (“change, swap”). As is the case with such derivatives as "municipality", and "immunity", the concept of trading goods and services in a way that conforms to a society's laws is quite pertinent to this term. From the addition of the "com-" prefix came commūnis (“common, public”), which is cognate to Proto-Germanic *gamainiz (“shared, communal, public”).
The semantic shift to 'gift' is explained by Sextus Pompeius Festus thus:
*