# medio
## English
### Etymology

From Spanish medio (“half, half-celemin, half-real, etc.”), from Latin medius (“half”), from Proto-Italic *meðjos, from Proto-Indo-European *médʰyos (“between”). Doublet of medium, media, and mediate.
* This entry needs quotations to illustrate usage. If you come across any interesting, durably archived quotes then please add them!

### Noun

medio (plural medios)
* (historical) A traditional Spanish unit of dry measure, equivalent to about 2.3 L.
* (historical) Any of various former Spanish and Latin American half-pieces, particularly the half-real both as a coin and a notional unit of account.

#### Synonyms

* maquila (Spain), copin (Asturias), copino

#### Coordinate terms

* (unit of dry volume): cuartillo ($^1$⁄$_2$ medio), celemin (2 medios), cuartilla (6 medios), hemina (10 medios), cuarto or media (12 medios), fanega (24 medios), saco (48 medios), carga (96 medios), cahiz (288 medios)
* (currency): real (2 medios), peso (16 medios) (some contexts)

## Esperanto
### Etymology

Likely a clipping of various Romance terms; compare Spanish medio ambiente, Portuguese meio ambiente, Catalan medi ambient. Ultimately from Latin medius. Doublet of mediano and mezo.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [meˈdio]
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -io
* Hyphenation: me‧di‧o

### Noun

medio (accusative singular medion, plural medioj, accusative plural mediojn)
* environment (natural world or ecosystem)

#### Derived terms

* medioprotektado

## Galician
### Etymology

13th century. Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese medio, medeo, a learned borrowing from Latin medius.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈmedjo/ [ˈme.ð̞jʊ]
* Rhymes: -edjo
* Hyphenation: me‧dio

### Adjective

medio (feminine media, masculine plural medios, feminine plural medias)
* half
* average, typical
    Synonym: mediano
* (figuratively) the greater part
* central, at the midpoint

#### Derived terms

* media

#### See also

* metade

### Adverb

medio
* partly, somewhat, not completely
    É medio parvo.He is somewhat stupid.

### References

* Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “medio”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
* Xavier Varela Barreiro, Xavier Gómez Guinovart (2006–2018) “medea”, in Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
* Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “medio”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
* Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “medio”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

## Interlingua
### Noun

medio (plural medios)
* means
* medium (material in/through which certain wave phenomena operate)

## Italian
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈmɛ.djo/
* Rhymes: -ɛdjo
* Hyphenation: mè‧dio

### Etymology 1
#### Noun

medio m (plural medi)
* (anatomy) middle finger, tall man
    Synonym: dito medio

### Etymology 2

Borrowed from Latin medius, whence also Italian mezzo (an inherited doublet).

#### Adjective

medio (feminine media, masculine plural medi, feminine plural medie)
* mean, average

##### Derived terms

* mediamente

##### Related terms

* media
* mediale
* medianico
* mediano
* mediare
* mediocre
* mediocredito
* Medioevo
* medioleggero
* mediomassimo
* mediopalatale
* mediorientale

### Etymology 3
#### Verb

medio
* first-person singular present indicative of mediare

## Latin
### Pronunciation

* (Classical Latin) IPA: /ˈme.di.oː/, [ˈmɛd̪ioː]
* (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA: /ˈme.di.o/, [ˈmɛːd̪io]

### Etymology 1

Found in Late and Vulgar Latin. From medius.

#### Verb

mediō (present infinitive mediāre, perfect active mediāvī, supine mediātum); first conjugation
* to halve, divide in the middle
* to be in the middle

##### Derived terms

* mediātus
* mediātor

##### Descendants

* French: moyer; → médier
* Galician: meada
* → Italian: mediare
* Portuguese: mear, meado; → mediar
* → Romanian: media
* → Spanish: mediar
* → English: mediate

### Etymology 2
#### Adjective

mediō
* dative/ablative masculine/neuter singular of medius

### References

* “medio”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
* "medio", in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
* medio in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
* Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎, London: Macmillan and Co. (ambiguous) to remove a person: e or de medio tollere (ambiguous) to leave a thing undecided: aliquid in medio, in dubio relinquere (Cael. 20. 48) (ambiguous) to publish, make public: in medio ponere (proponere) (ambiguous) let us leave that undecided: hoc in medio relinquamus

## Portuguese
### Etymology 1
#### Pronunciation

* (Brazil) IPA: /meˈd͡ʒi.u/, /meˈd͡ʒiw/ [meˈd͡ʒiʊ̯]
* (Portugal) IPA: /mɨˈdi.u/ [mɨˈði.u]
* Hyphenation: me‧di‧o

#### Verb

medio
* first-person singular present indicative of mediar

### Etymology 2
#### Adjective

medio (feminine media, masculine plural medios, feminine plural medias)
* Pre-reform spelling (used until 1943 in Brazil and 1911 in Portugal) of médio.
** 1920 January 4, “A associação dos constructores civis do Rio de Janeiro ao público [The civil engineering association of Rio de Janeiro to the public]”, in Correio da Manhã, volume XIX, number 7615, Rio de Janeiro, page 4:Houve, portanto, um augmento medio nos salarios de 40 °|° […]There was, thus an average increase in pay of 40% […]

## Spanish
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈmedjo/ [ˈme.ð̞jo]
* Audio (Colombia):(file)
* Rhymes: -edjo
* Syllabification: me‧dio

### Etymology 1

Borrowed directly from Latin medius (“half”) rather than inherited through an Old Spanish form, possibly because the likely forms *meo and *meyo would have closely resembled mear (“to piss”), ultimately from Proto-Italic *meðjos, from Proto-Indo-European *médʰyos (“between”). Compare Portuguese meio, which retained its original inherited form. In reference to spiritual mediums, calqued from Latin medium. Doublet of media. Cognate with English medium.

#### Adjective

medio (feminine media, masculine plural medios, feminine plural medias)
* half (of or related to one of two equal divisions of a whole)
    media hora ― half hour
    media manzana ― half an apple
* (inexact) half (of or related to any large proportion of a whole)
    Medio Nueva York fue a los toros. ― Half of New York went to the bullfight.
* middle (placed more or less halfway between two positions, times, or alternatives)
    clase media ― middle class
* average (of or related to the arithmatic middle in a set of values)
    velocidad media ― average speed
* average (of or related to a representative example of a group)
    el español medio ― the average Spaniard... your typical Spaniard...
* (art) tasteful, bourgeois (well decorated or executed but not sublime)
* (linguistics) mid (of or related to the position of vowel articulation between open and closed)
* (grammar) middle, mediopassive (of or related to grammatical voices neither active nor passive)
* (Chile, slang, ironic, intensifier) impressive (extremely large or good)
    ¡Media bolsa! ― Such a huge bag! What an awesome bag! Whatta bag!

#### Adverb

medio
* half, incompletely (indicating an action interrupted or only partially done)
    medio vestido ― half-dressed
* half, kind of (particularly used to partially soften negative descriptions)
    Synonym: un poco
    Es medio idiota. ― He’s a bit of an idiot... He’s kind of an idiot...

#### Noun

medio m (plural medios)
* half (one of two equal parts of any whole)
    Synonym: mitad
** (mathematics) half (any fraction with a denominator of 2)
** (historical) medio, half-celemin (a traditional unit of dry measure equivalent to about 2.3 L)
    Synonyms: maquila (Spain); copín (Asturias); copino
** (historical) medio (the usual container used to measure medios)
** (historical, Guatemala, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela) medio, half-real (a former coin)
** (historical, Dominican Republic) medio, half-peso (a former coin)
** (historical, Ecuador) medio, half-sucre (a former coin)
** (historical, Panama) medio, half-balboa (a former coin)
** (historical, Bolivia) medio, half-boliviano (a former coin)
** (historical, Mexico) medio, half-octavo (a former coin equal to $^1$⁄$_{16}$ real)
** (slang, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Peru) medio (following decimalization, the notional amount of 6+$^1$⁄$_4$ centavos as half of the notional amount of a $^1$⁄$_8$-peseta real and later by extension any 5 centavo coin)
* middle (the part of anything located halfway between its ends or extremes in time or along one dimension in space)
    Se despertó en medio de la noche. ― She awoke in the middle of the night.
** (sports) midfielder, halfback (a person forming part of the middle or central defensive or offensive line, especially in soccer)
** (spiritualism) Synonym of médium (“medium”) (a person claiming to the ability to communicate with the dead)
** (politics, business) cut (the payment demanded to permit or facilitate some action, especially as a bribe)
** (philosophy) middle term (the general category that appears in both premises and disappears in the conclusion)
** (mathematics, usually in the plural) mean (the second and third terms of a proportion)
* (inexact) center, heart (the innermost part of anything with regard to all dimensions)
    Alemania está en medio de Europa. ― Germany is in the middle of Europe.
    en medio de la nada ― in the middle of nowhere
* (often in the plural) method, way, means (the actions or things by which some goal is achieved or intended to be achieved, something serving some purpose)
    El fin justifica los medios. ― The end justifies the means.
    por todos los medios ― by any means
    Se mejoraron los medios de transporte. ― Means of transport were improved.
** Synonym of diligencia (“diligence, hard work”) (as the generally effective means to achieve any goal)
** (usually in the plural) medium (a means of communication, especially mass communication)
* (physics) medium (the physical space and substance through which some phenomenon occurs)
    La velocidad de la luz depende del medio. ― The speed of light depends on the medium.
** (art) medium (the physical substances with which art is made)
    ¿Cuál es tu medio de pintura favorito?What's your favorite painting medium?
** environment (the circumstances that affect a person or animal's development)
    Synonyms: ambiente, medio ambiente
** society (the circumstances in which a person or group of people lives)
** (usually in the plural) circle (a particular segment of society)
    medios aristocráticos ― aristocratic circles... the aristocracy...
** habitat (the circumstances in which an animal or group of animals lives)

##### Coordinate terms

* (unit of dry volume): cuartillo ($^1$⁄$_2$ medio), celemín (2 medios), cuartilla (6 medios), hemina (10 medios), cuarto or media (12 medios), fanega (24 medios), saco (48 medios), carga (96 medios), cahíz (288 medios)

##### Derived terms

* a media asta
* a media madera
* a media margen
* a media palabra
* a media ración
* a media rienda
* a media rodilla
* a media talla
* a media vista
* a media voz
* a medias
* a medio camino
* a medio gas
* a medio hacer
* a medio plazo
* alfarda media
* alto alemán medio
* arco de medio punto
* clase media
* clavo de media chilla
* coger en medio
* columna de media caña
* consuelda media
* córnico medio
* corto, ta de medios
* de media gala
* de media seda
* de media tijera
* de medio a asta
* de medio a medio
* de medio carácter
* de medio cuerpo
* de medio ganchete
* de medio lado
* de medio ojo
* de medio pelo
* de por medio
* dedo de en medio
* dedo medio
* dueña de medias tocas
* echar por en medio
* Edad Media
* el fin justifica los medios
* en este medio
* en medio
* enseñanza media
* entrar de por medio
* entre medias
* escoplo de media alfarjía
* estar de por medio
* francés medio
* grabado a media tinta
* guardia de media
* hierro medio tocho
* hija del medio
* hijo del medio
* Imperio medio
* indio medio
* inglés medio
* ir a medias
* iranio medio
* justo medio
* las siete y media
* línea media
* media agua
* media águila
* media alfarjía
* media anata
* media aritmética
* media bata
* media cadenilla
* media china
* media coleta
* media colonia
* media con limpio
* media cruz
* media cuadrática
* media cuchara
* media espada
* media etiqueta
* media firma
* media gamarra
* media geométrica
* media granaína
* media hermana
* media hora
* media lanza
* media lengua
* media luna
* media luz
* media mesa
* media naranja
* media noche
* media onza
* media paleta
* media parte
* media pasta
* media pensión
* media ponderada
* media proporcional
* media punta
* media r
* media rima
* media suela
* media talla
* media tinta
* media vara
* media vecindad
* media vez
* media vida
* media vuelta
* mediano
* medianoche
* medias calzas
* medias palabras
* medias tintas
* medio aderezo
* medio ambiente
* medio baño
* medio bocel
* medio campo
* medio cielo
* medio de apertura
* medio de comunicación
* medio de proporción
* medio de transporte
* medio doblero
* medio farol
* medio galope
* medio hermano
* medio internado
* medio interno
* medio jaez
* medio luto
* medio madero
* medio medio
* medio mundo
* medio mutis
* Medio Oriente
* medio perfil
* medio pespunte
* medio punto
* medio pupilo
* medio queso
* medio racionero
* medio relieve
* medio revés
* medio rostrillo
* medio rostrillo grueso
* medio rostrillo mejor
* medio tajo
* medio término
* medio tiempo
* medio tío
* medio vecino
* medio viento
* medioambiente
* mediodía
* mediodía medio
* medios de comunicación
* medios sociales
* medios términos
* meterse de por medio
* meterse en medio
* necesidad de medio
* oído medio
* onda media
* Oriente Medio
* parir a medias
* parte de por medio
* partir por en medio
* partir por medio
* persa medio
* piano de media cola
* plano medio
* plano medio largo
* poner los medios
* por en medio
* por medio
* por medio de
* por término medio
* por todos los medios
* punto medio
* quitar de en medio a alguien
* quitarse alguien de en medio
* seda medio conchal
* siglos medios
* sol medio
* sombrero de medio queso
* temporada media
* tercio medio
* término medio
* tiempo medio
* tomar el medio
* tomar los medios
* vida media
* voz media
* y medio

##### Related terms

* a medias
* mediar
* mediatamente
* mediocridad
* medioeval
* mitad
* promedio

### Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

#### Verb

medio
* first-person singular present indicative of mediar

### References

* ↑ Joan Coromines, José A[ntonio] Pascual (1983–1991) “medio”, in Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico [Critical Castilian and Hispanic Etymological Dictionary] (in Spanish), Madrid: Gredos
* ↑ Joan Coromines, José A[ntonio] Pascual (1983–1991) “medio”, in Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico [Critical Castilian and Hispanic Etymological Dictionary] (in Spanish), Madrid: Gredos

### Further reading

* “medio”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

### Anagrams

* miedo