Ammianus

Latin

Etymology

Most probably of ultimate Semitic origin, the name probably meaning "faithful". May be compared with Hebrew אַמְנוֹן (amnón), the given name of David's eldest son, or, according to one variant, Hebrew אֲמִינון (aminon). Compare Arabic ء م ن (ʔ m n) and Hebrew א־מ־ן (ʾ-m-n), and Egyptian jmn (“Amun”).

The semivowel in the -iānus component may be explained by popular Latin naming conventions in Ammian's time, see Grātiānus, Valentīniānus etc., and may have been an effort to "latinize" his native name.

Pronunciation

(Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /am.miˈaː.nus/, [ämːiˈäːnʊs̠]
(modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /am.miˈa.nus/, [ämːiˈäːnus]

Proper noun

Ammiānus m (genitive Ammiānī); second declension

A masculine praenomen, famously held by:
Ammianus Marcellinus, a 4th century Roman historian from Roman Syria or Phoenicia

Declension

Second-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	Ammiānus	Ammiānī
Genitive	Ammiānī	Ammiānōrum
Dative	Ammiānō	Ammiānīs
Accusative	Ammiānum	Ammiānōs
Ablative	Ammiānō	Ammiānīs
Vocative	Ammiāne	Ammiānī

Descendants

All borrowed.

→ French: Ammien
→ English: Ammian
→ Italian: Ammiano
→ Portuguese: Amiano
→ Spanish: Amiano

References

“Ammĭānus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
Ammianus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.