asinus
Latin edit
Etymology edit
Usually compared to Ancient Greek ὄνος (ónos) (which cannot be its direct ancestor), and, just like other IE words for "ass", must be traced back to an unknown substrate source in Asia Minor (compare Hieroglyphic Luwian [script needed] (tarkasna), Sumerian 𒀲 (anšu)). The lack of rhotacism of the single intervocalic -s- after a short vowel would point to a recent borrowing.
Pronunciation edit
- (Classical) IPA(key): /ˈa.si.nus/, [ˈäs̠ɪnʊs̠]
- (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /ˈa.si.nus/, [ˈäːs̬inus]
Noun edit
asinus m (genitive asinī); second declension
- a donkey, an ass
- (figuratively, humorous, derogatory) an ass, cretin, idiot, dolt, blockhead (a slow-witted, inept person)
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:homo stultus
- 160 BCE, Publius Terentius Afer, Adelphoe :
- Quid tū autem huic, asine, auscultās?
- And why are you listening to him, you dolt?
- Quid tū autem huic, asine, auscultās?
Declension edit
Second-declension noun.
Case | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
Nominative | asinus | asinī |
Genitive | asinī | asinōrum |
Dative | asinō | asinīs |
Accusative | asinum | asinōs |
Ablative | asinō | asinīs |
Vocative | asine | asinī |
Synonyms edit
Derived terms edit
Descendants edit
- Eastern Romance:
- Insular Romance:
- Sardinian: àinu
- Italo-Dalmatian:
- Western Romance:
- → Proto-Celtic:
- → Samoan: asini
Adjective edit
asinus (feminine asina, neuter asinum); first/second-declension adjective
- (relational) ass, donkey
- stupid, asinine
Declension edit
First/second-declension adjective.
Number | Singular | Plural | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Case / Gender | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
Nominative | asinus | asina | asinum | asinī | asinae | asina | |
Genitive | asinī | asinae | asinī | asinōrum | asinārum | asinōrum | |
Dative | asinō | asinō | asinīs | ||||
Accusative | asinum | asinam | asinum | asinōs | asinās | asina | |
Ablative | asinō | asinā | asinō | asinīs | |||
Vocative | asine | asina | asinum | asinī | asinae | asina |
References edit
- “asinus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- “asinus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
- asinus 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)
- asinus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
- De Vaan, Michiel (2008) Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 57