Hibernia

English

Etymology

From Latin Hibernia, from Ancient Greek Ἰέρνη (Iérnē), Ἰουερνία (Iouernía), Ἱβερνία (Hibernía).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /haɪˈbɜː(ɹ)nɪə/, /hɪˈbɜː(ɹ)nɪə/

Proper noun

Hibernia

1. (poetic) Ireland (an island and country in Western Europe).
2. A female personification of Ireland.

Derived terms

• Hibernian

Latin

Alternative forms

• Īvernia
• Ī̆uverna
• Ibernia (Medieval Latin)

Etymology

Earlier Īvernia, borrowed from Ancient Greek Ἰ̄έρνη (Īérnē), Ἰ̄ουερνία (Īouernía), Ἱ̄βερνία (Hībernía), borrowed from Primitive Irish *īweriyū and its genitive *īweriyonah (whence probably Irish Éire), from Proto-Celtic *φīweriyū.

Initial H due to the influence of hībernus (“wintry”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /hiːˈber.ni.a/, [hiːˈbɛrniä] or IPA^(key): /hiˈber.ni.a/, [hɪˈbɛrniä]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /iˈber.ni.a/, [iˈbɛrniä]

Proper noun

Hī̆bernia f sg (genitive Hī̆berniae); first declension

1. (historical) Ireland (an island and country in Western Europe)

Declension

First-declension noun, singular only.

Case	Singular
Nominative	Hī̆bernia
Genitive	Hī̆berniae
Dative	Hī̆berniae
Accusative	Hī̆berniam
Ablative	Hī̆berniā
Vocative	Hī̆bernia

Related terms

• Hīvernē
• Hȳberna
• Hȳbernē
• Īerna
• Īernus
• Īernē
• Īverna
• Īvernē

 

References

• “Hibernia”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• Hibernia in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• “Hibernia”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898), Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “Hibernia”, in William Smith, editor (1854, 1857), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography, volume 1 & 2, London: Walton and Maberly