Genius

:This article is about people with exceptional mental abilities. For the cartoon, see Genius (cartoon).

Etymology

In ancient Rome, the genius was the guiding or "tutelary" spirit of a person or indeed of an entire gens. A related term is genius loci, the spirit of a specific locale. In contrast, the internal driving force within all living things is the animus. A specific spirit , or daemon, may inhabit an image or icon, giving it supernatural powers.

Related Topics:
Ancient Rome - Gens - Genius loci - Animus - Spirit - Daemon - Icon

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A comparable term from Arabic lore is a djinn, often Anglicized as "genie". Note, however, that this term is a false friend, not a cognate.

Related Topics:
Arab - Djinn - False friend - Cognate

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