Latin

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Probably from Trā̆ius +‎ -ānus/-iānus: Trajan's paternal grandmother is assumed to have been from the gens Traia. The source of the nomen Trā̆ius is uncertain, but it may be of Oscan origin.

Pronunciation

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  • (Classical Latin) IPA(key): /traːˈi̯aː.nus/, [t̪räːˈi̯äːnʊs̠] or IPA(key): /trai̯ˈi̯aː.nus/, [t̪räi̯ˈi̯äːnʊs̠]
  • (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /traˈja.nus/, [t̪räˈjäːnus]
  • Traia- scans as two heavy syllables. Given the uncertain etymology, it is unclear whether the first syllable contained a short vowel followed by double /jj/ or a long vowel followed by single /j/. (Many dictionaries mark the vowel as long in either of these contexts.) The pronunciation with short /a/ and double /jj/ would be more consistent with the usual pronunciation of intervocalic -i- as /jj/ in unprefixed Latin words (such as aio, maior, Maius, eius, Troia). The spelling "Traiianus" is attested on some inscriptions, such as the Tabula Banasitana,[1] although this does not necessarily reveal the pronunciation.

Proper noun

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Trā̆iānus m (genitive Trā̆iānī); second declension

  1. A Roman cognomen — famously held by:
    1. Trajan

Declension

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Second-declension noun.

Case Singular Plural
Nominative Trā̆iānus Trā̆iānī
Genitive Trā̆iānī Trā̆iānōrum
Dative Trā̆iānō Trā̆iānīs
Accusative Trā̆iānum Trā̆iānōs
Ablative Trā̆iānō Trā̆iānīs
Vocative Trā̆iāne Trā̆iānī

Descendants

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  • Ancient Greek: Τραϊανός (Traïanós), Ancient Greek: Τραιανός (Traianós)

References

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  1. ^ Euzennat, Maurice, Seston, William (1980) “Un dossier de la chancellerie romaine : la Tabula Banasitana. Etude de diplomatique”, in Publications de l'École Française de Rome[1], volume 43, pages 87-89, 95

Further reading

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