obstetrix

English

Etymology

From Latin obstetrīx.

Pronunciation

  • Audio (US):(file)

Noun

obstetrix

  1. (formal) A midwife.

Latin

Alternative forms

  • obstitrix

Etymology

From obstō (to stand before, verb) +‎ -trīx f (-ess, agentive suffix), or with the same elements.

Pronunciation

  • (Classical Latin) IPA(key): [ˈɔp.stɛ.triːks], [ɔpˈstɛt.riːks]
  • (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): [ˈɔb.st̪e.t̪riks], [obˈst̪ɛt̪.riks]
  • The vowel in the second syllable is short -ĕ-,[1] reduced from the short -ă- seen in stătus, stător, etc.[2] Metrically, the second syllable can be light or heavy because of the following -tr- cluster.

Noun

obstetrīx f (genitive obstetrīcis); third declension

  1. midwife
    • c. 200 BCE – 190 BCE, Plautus, Captivi 629, (trochaic septenarius):
      Qui tu scis? an tu fortasse fuisti meae matri obstĕtrix, / qui id tam audacter dicere audes?
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Declension

Third-declension noun.

singular plural
nominative obstetrīx obstetrīcēs
genitive obstetrīcis obstetrīcum
dative obstetrīcī obstetrīcibus
accusative obstetrīcem obstetrīcēs
ablative obstetrīce obstetrīcibus
vocative obstetrīx obstetrīcēs

Derived terms

  • obstetrīcius
  • obstetricus (modern, medical)
  • obstetricālis (modern, medical)

Descendants

  • English: obstetrix (learned)

References

  1. ^ obstĕtrix in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
  2. ^ Lindsay, W. M. (1894) The Latin Language, page 191

Further reading

  • obstetrix”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • obstetrix”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers