aetherius

Latin

Alternative forms

• aethereus

Etymology

From Ancient Greek αἰθέριος (aithérios, “of or pertaining to the upper air; ethereal, heavenly”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ae̯ˈtʰe.ri.us/, [äe̯ˈt̪ʰɛriʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /eˈte.ri.us/, [eˈt̪ɛːrius]

Adjective

aetherius (feminine aetheria, neuter aetherium); first/second-declension adjective

1. Of or pertaining to the ether, the sky, or the air or upper air; ethereal; aloft.
2. Of or pertaining to heaven; celestial, heavenly; sent by heaven; divine.
   • 8 CE, Ovid, Fasti 1.682:

     Cum latet, aetheriā spargite sēmen aqua.

     When it lies hidden [in the ground], sprinkle the seed with heavenly water.
     (The imperative plural spargite here is invoking the goddesses Terra and Ceres.)

3. Of or pertaining to the upper world or of the world of the living.

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

Number	Singular				Plural
Case / Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	aetherius	aetheria	aetherium		aetheriī	aetheriae	aetheria
Genitive	aetheriī	aetheriae	aetheriī		aetheriōrum	aetheriārum	aetheriōrum
Dative	aetheriō		aetheriō		aetheriīs
Accusative	aetherium	aetheriam	aetherium		aetheriōs	aetheriās	aetheria
Ablative	aetheriō	aetheriā	aetheriō		aetheriīs
Vocative	aetherie	aetheria	aetherium		aetheriī	aetheriae	aetheria

Synonyms

• (divine): dīvīnus
• (heavenly, celestial): caeles, caelestīnus, caelestis, caelicus, supernus

Related terms

• aethēr
• aethra

Descendants

• English: ethereal
• French: éthéré
• Italian: etereo
• Portuguese: etéreo
• Spanish: etéreo

References

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