Do the five toes have individual names in Latin? I prefer classical Latin, but other variants are welcome too. I learned the names of the fingers yesterday, but I doubt the exact same names are valid even though digitus seems to refer to both fingers and toes and pollex means both thumb and great toe.
asked Aug 4, 2017 at 10:42
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I don't know why you would think they wouldn't be the same. If the words digitus and pollex could apply to both, I don't see why the rest of terms wouldn't be the same, especially considering people have more occasion to refer to their fingers than their toes,– varroCommented Aug 4, 2017 at 14:08
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Addendum: I take that back in the case of index; I don't think many people point with their toes.– varroCommented Aug 4, 2017 at 14:10
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1@varro I doubt people would point or salute with their toes, or consider it obscene to show the middle toe. Some of the names may be same, but some are clearly not applicable, or I have a huge hole in my understanding of Roman manners.– Joonas Ilmavirta ♦Commented Aug 4, 2017 at 14:12
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1@varro The middle finger is also known as digitus impudicus. Many fingers have several names as listed in the finger name question. I agree that digitus medius is probably valid. But I wonder if there's any evidence for Latin toe names, whether the same as finger names or not.– Joonas Ilmavirta ♦Commented Aug 4, 2017 at 14:44
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1FWIW in English all of them admit the corresponding name of the finger in the same position, even the index (although some have a more common name specific to the toe). The same applies (colloquially at least) to Spanish– RafaelCommented Aug 4, 2017 at 19:36
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1 Answer
I have come across a Latin word for the big toe - allex (or hallex) in classical Latin (going back to at least Plautus who uses "allex" as an insult for a small man), spelt hallux in modern anatomy.
