-eius

See also: eius

Latin

Alternative forms

  • -ejus, -eiius, -eijus (orthographic)

Etymology 1

By analogy with nomina gentilicia of Oscan or perhaps Etruscan origin, such as Pompeius (from 𐌐𐌖𐌌𐌐𐌄 (pumpe, five)), Tarpeius, Saufeius. Difficult to distinguish from Etymology 2.[1] Gentilics ending in -eius may have originated from a Faliscan variant of this suffix, whereas -aius (as in Anaius, Popaius, Ulaius) may go back to Oscan, and -aeus (as in Annaeus) to Paelignian and Umbrian.[2]

Pronunciation

  • (Classical Latin) IPA(key): [ɛj.jʊs]
  • (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): [e.jus]
  • Note: although the syllable is heavy due to the regularly geminate intervocalic /j/, the vowel is thought to have been short on etymological grounds.

Suffix

-eius (feminine -eia, neuter -eium); first/second-declension suffix

  1. forms nomina gentilicia
    Elatus → ‎Elateius
    Proculus → ‎Proculeius
Usage notes
  • This suffix was also used to form humorous words such as sterteia (one who snores) from stertō (snore) by Petronius and sterceia (a maidservant who cleans the excrement of children) from stercus (dung, manure) by Tertullian.
Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

singular plural
masculine feminine neuter masculine feminine neuter
nominative -eius -eia -eium -eiī -eiae -eia
genitive -eiī -eiae -eiī -eiōrum -eiārum -eiōrum
dative -eiō -eiae -eiō -eiīs
accusative -eium -eiam -eium -eiōs -eiās -eia
ablative -eiō -eiā -eiō -eiīs
vocative -ei -eia -eium -eiī -eiae -eia

The Masculine Singular Vocative is monosyllabic.[3]

Derived terms

Etymology 2

Derived adjectives from nouns and names with an stem with the suffix -ius (such as plēbēius (of the common people) from plēbēs (the common people), an archaic form of plēbs). Difficult to distinguish from Etymology 1.

Pronunciation

Suffix

-ēius (feminine -ēia, neuter -ēium); first/second-declension suffix

  1. forms adjectives from nouns and proper names
    pāgus + ‎-ēius → ‎pāgēius
Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

Etymology 3

From Ancient Greek adjectives in -ήϊος (-ḗïos), Epic form of Attic -εῖος (-eîos). Perhaps more properly considered a poetically variant scansion of the suffixes under Etymology 1 and 2, modelled on the corresponding situation in Greek.

Pronunciation

Suffix

-ēïus (feminine -ēïa, neuter -ēïum); first/second-declension suffix

  1. (literary, poetic) Forms adjectives, chiefly from Ancient Greek nouns, but occasionally from native ones as well
    Ancient Greek φῠ́λλος (phŭ́llos, leaf) → ‎Phyllēïus (corresponding to Φῠλλήϊος (Phŭllḗïos))
    Ancient Greek Πρῐ́ᾱπος (Prĭ́āpos) → ‎Priāpēïus (corresponding to Πρῐᾱπήϊος (Prĭāpḗïos))
    Tiberius → ‎Tiberēïus
Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

See also

References

  1. ^ Leumann, Manu, Hofmann, Johann Baptist, Szantyr, Anton (1977) “-eius -eia”, in Lateinische Grammatik: Lateinische Laut- und Formenlehre, CH Beck, page 289
  2. ^ Chase, George Davis (1897) “The Origin of Roman Praenomina”, in Harvard Studies in Classical Philology, volume 8, page 120
  3. ^ Leumann, Manu, Hofmann, Johann Baptist, Szantyr, Anton (1977) “325: Dekl. Sing. Vokativ”, in Lateinische Grammatik: Lateinische Laut- und Formenlehre, CH Beck, page 424