See also: férus and Ferus

Latin

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Etymology

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    From Proto-Italic *feros, from earlier *xʷeros, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰwéros, from *ǵʰwer- (wild animal).

    Pronunciation

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    Adjective

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    ferus (feminine fera, neuter ferum); first/second-declension adjective

    1. wild, savage, fierce, cruel
      Synonyms: trux, ferōx, atrōx, violēns, immānis, efferus, crūdēlis, silvāticus, ācer, acerbus, sevērus
      Antonyms: mītis, tranquillus, misericors, placidus, quietus, clemens
      • 8 CE, Ovid, Fasti 4.107–108:
        prīma ferōs habitūs hominī dētrāxit: ab illā
        vēnērunt cultūs mundaque cūra suī.
        [Venus] first divested men of savage habits: from her
        came fancy attire and clean care of oneself.

        (See Venus (mythology).)
    2. uncivilized, uncultivated
      Synonym: barbaricus
    3. untamed, rough

    Declension

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    First/second-declension adjective.

    singular plural
    masculine feminine neuter masculine feminine neuter
    nominative ferus fera ferum ferī ferae fera
    genitive ferī ferae ferī ferōrum ferārum ferōrum
    dative ferō ferae ferō ferīs
    accusative ferum feram ferum ferōs ferās fera
    ablative ferō ferā ferō ferīs
    vocative fere fera ferum ferī ferae fera

    Derived terms

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    Descendants

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    • Asturian: fieru
    • Catalan: fer
    • Galician: fero
    • Italian: fiero
    • Norman: fiar (Guernsey)
    • Occitan: fèr
    • Old French: fer
      • Middle French: fer
        • French: fer (see there for further descendants)
      • Norman: (France, Jersey), faer (Guernsey), fer (Sark)
      • Walloon: fier
    • Spanish: fiero

    Noun

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    ferus m (genitive ferī); second declension

    1. wild animal

    Declension

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    Second-declension noun.

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    References

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    • ferus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
    • ferus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
    • ferus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
    • Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
      • to fight like lions: ferarum ritu pugnare