Latin edit

Etymology edit

By surface analysis, bene (well) +‎ -gnus (-born).[1] Compare malignus.

Pronunciation edit

Adjective edit

benignus (feminine benigna, neuter benignum, adverb benignē or benigniter); first/second-declension adjective

  1. kind, good, friendly, pleasant
    Antonym: severus
  2. beneficent, obliging, bounteous
  3. (of things) favorable, mild
  4. (poetic, of things) fruitful, fertile, copious
  5. (poetic) lucky, propitious

Declension edit

First/second-declension adjective.

Number Singular Plural
Case / Gender Masculine Feminine Neuter Masculine Feminine Neuter
Nominative benignus benigna benignum benignī benignae benigna
Genitive benignī benignae benignī benignōrum benignārum benignōrum
Dative benignō benignō benignīs
Accusative benignum benignam benignum benignōs benignās benigna
Ablative benignō benignā benignō benignīs
Vocative benigne benigna benignum benignī benignae benigna

Derived terms edit

Descendants edit

References edit

  1. ^ De Vaan, Michiel (2008), “gignō”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 260–261

Further reading edit

  • benignus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • benignus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • benignus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette