anceps

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin anceps (literally “double-headed”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈænsɛps/

Noun

anceps (plural ancipites)

1. (poetry, Greek and Latin meter) A syllable that can be either short or long.

Derived terms

• acardiacus anceps
• acardius anceps

 

Anagrams

• Capens, NEACPs, n space, n-space, pances, pecans

Latin

Etymology

From ambo (“both”) +‎ -ceps (“headed”), from caput (“head”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈan.keps/, [ˈäŋkɛps̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈan.t͡ʃeps/, [ˈän̠ʲt͡ʃeps]

Adjective

anceps (genitive ancipitis); third-declension one-termination adjective

1. double-headed, having two heads

   Synonym: biceps

2. (of mountains) having two summits or peaks
3. (of swords) double-edged
4. divided into two parts
5. wavering, doubtful, uncertain, dubious, shady

   Synonyms: incertus, suspensus, vagus, dubius

   Antonyms: certus, prōmptus, indubius, fixus

6. dangerous, hazardous

   Synonyms: perīculōsus, īnfēnsus, dubius, capitālis

Declension

Third-declension one-termination adjective.

Number	Singular			Plural
Case / Gender	Masc./Fem.	Neuter		Masc./Fem.	Neuter
Nominative	anceps			ancipitēs	ancipitia
Genitive	ancipitis			ancipitium
Dative	ancipitī			ancipitibus
Accusative	ancipitem	anceps		ancipitēs	ancipitia
Ablative	ancipitī			ancipitibus
Vocative	anceps			ancipitēs	ancipitia

Descendants

• English: syllaba anceps
• Portuguese: ancípite
• Italian: ancipite

References

• “anceps”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “anceps”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• anceps 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)
• anceps in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • the changes and chances of this life: ancipites et varii casus
    
  • the issue of the battle is undecided: proelium anceps est
    
  • the issue of the battle is undecided: ancipiti Marte pugnatur
    
  • the issue of the day was for a long time uncertain: diu anceps stetit pugna
    

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin anceps.

Noun

anceps n (uncountable)

1. anceps

Declension

declension of anceps (singular only)

	singular
n gender	indefinite articulation	definite articulation
nominative/accusative	(un) anceps	ancepsul
genitive/dative	(unui) anceps	ancepsului
vocative	ancepsule