Christophorus

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kʁɪsˈtɔ.fo.ʁʊs/, /-fə-/

Proper noun

Christophorus m (proper noun, strong, genitive Christophorus' or Christophori)

1. Saint Christopher
2. a male given name of rare usage

Related terms

• Christoph

Latin

Alternative forms

• Chrīstifer, Chrīstophanus, Chrīstopherus

Etymology

From Koine Greek Χρῑστόφορος (Khrīstóphoros, from Χρῑστός (Khrīstós, “Christ”) +‎ φόρος (phóros, “bearing”), literally “Christ-bearer”), from Ancient Greek χρῑστός (khrīstós, “anointed one”) +‎ φέρω (phérō, “to bear, bring”, from Proto-Hellenic *pʰérō), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰéreti (from the root *bʰer-), whence via Proto-Italic *ferō also comes ferō; cf. Chrīstifer.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /kʰriːsˈto.pʰo.rus/, [kʰriːs̠ˈt̪ɔpʰɔrʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /krisˈto.fo.rus/, [krisˈt̪ɔːforus]

Proper noun

Chrīstophorus m sg (genitive Chrīstophorī); second declension (Late Latin, Medieval Latin)

1. a male given name from Ancient Greek, variant of Chrīstifer, Chrīstophanus, or Chrīstopherus, equivalent to English Christopher
2. a Roman praenomen of Greek derivation
3. Saint Christopher; Christopher Columbus

Declension

Second-declension noun, singular only.

Case	Singular
Nominative	Chrīstophorus
Genitive	Chrīstophorī
Dative	Chrīstophorō
Accusative	Chrīstophorum
Ablative	Chrīstophorō
Vocative	Chrīstophore

Descendants

• Catalan: Cristòfor, Cristòfol
• Danish: Christoffer, Kristoffer
• Dutch: Christoffel, Christoforus, Christophe, Kristof
• Middle English: Kristofre, Cristofre
  • English: Christopher, Topher
• French: Christophe
• German: Christophorus, Christoph, Christoffer
• Galician: Cristovo
• Hungarian: Kristóf, Krisztofer
• Italian: Cristoforo
• Icelandic: Kristófer
• Ligurian: Christoffa, Cristoffa
• Maltese: Kristofru
• Norwegian: Christopher, Christoffer, Kristoffer
• Occitan: Cristòl
• Sicilian: Cristòfuru
• Old Spanish: Christóval
  • Aragonese: Cristofo
  • Spanish: Cristóbal, Tobolito
    • Basque: Kristobal
    • Tagalog: Kristobal
• Polish: Krzysztof
• Portuguese: Cristóvão
• Romanian: Cristofor
• Samoan: Kerisitofā
• Swedish: Christoffer, Kristoffer
• Venetian: Cristoforo, Cristòfoƚo

Further reading

• Christopher - Meaning And Origin Of The Name Christopher. Baby Names UK
• Chrīstophorus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• “Chrīstophorus”, in William Smith, editor (1848), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, London: John Murray
• Chrīstophorus in Stadler, Johannes Evangelista, Heim, Franz Joseph, Ginal, Johann Nepomuk (1858–1882) Vollständiges Heiligen-Lexikon oder Lebensgeschichten aller Heiligen, Seligen etc. aller Orte und aller Jahrhunderte [Complete Holy Lexicon and Life Stories of Saints, Blessed, etc...], Augsburg: Schmid'sche, page 609/2