vafer

Latin

Etymology

Possibly related to vabrum, but there is little evidence for this word. vafer could have been borrowed from a neighboring Italic dialect, from earlier *vaber, from Proto-Italic *wasro- (“versatile”), which could be from the root of varius (“varied”), or possibly otherwise from the root of vado (“I go, proceed”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈu̯a.fer/, [ˈu̯äfɛr]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈva.fer/, [ˈväːfer]

Adjective

vafer (feminine vafra, neuter vafrum, adverb vafrē); first/second-declension adjective (nominative masculine singular in -er)

1. sly, cunning, crafty, artful, subtle

   Synonyms: callidus, cōnsultus

   Antonyms: ineptus, rudis, iners, incapāx

Declension

First/second-declension adjective (nominative masculine singular in -er).

Number	Singular				Plural
Case / Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	vafer	vafra	vafrum		vafrī	vafrae	vafra
Genitive	vafrī	vafrae	vafrī		vafrōrum	vafrārum	vafrōrum
Dative	vafrō		vafrō		vafrīs
Accusative	vafrum	vafram	vafrum		vafrōs	vafrās	vafra
Ablative	vafrō	vafrā	vafrō		vafrīs
Vocative	vafer	vafra	vafrum		vafrī	vafrae	vafra

Descendants

• → Italian: vafro (learned)

References

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