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-inus

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word -inus

-inus1 of, belonging to

Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
c. 250–184 BC Plautus
Inherited from
Proto-Italic *-īnos
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European *-iHnos

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [iː.nʊs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [i.nus][1]

Forms

-īnus (feminine -īna, neuter -īnum); first/second-declension suffix[1]

Etymology

The suffix of relational adjectives is inherited from Proto-Italic *-īnos, from Proto-Indo-European *-iHnos.[1] It is cognate with Ancient Greek -ινος (-inos) and Proto-Germanic *-īnaz.[1] The OLD treats it as an enlargement of -nus,[2] and Etymonline traces it to *-no-.[3] Weiss notes that the /ī/ does not come from a monophthong and may ultimately be connected with the /-ī/ of the thematic genitive.[4] Oscan shows the same formation in Oscan deivinais, the counterpart of dīvīnus.[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus, of about 250–184 BC,[5] already has canīnus (“canine”) and Plautīnus, and Naevius, of about 235–200 BC,[5] has dīvīnus (“divine”) and vīcīnus (“neighbouring”).[4] These are adjectives meaning “of” or “belonging to”, made mainly from o-stems.[4]

Semantic evolution

It was added to personal and place names, as in Plautīnus and Latīnus, and to the names of animals, as in canīnus and equīnus.[2][4] The feminine names meats, as in agnīna and porcīna.[4] The enlarged -tīnus appears in vespertīnus,[2] and Weiss lists a suffix ⟨-tino-⟩ in words of time such as crāstinus, diūtinus and prīstinus.[4] Weiss warns that suinus “of pig”, often compared with its Germanic cognates, is not Classical and is probably a separate Latin creation.[4] English -ine continues the suffix.[3]

Timeline

Meanings

Suffix

  1. Forms adjectives of position, possession or origin from nouns: dīvīnus, vīcīnus.[2][1]
  2. From personal or place names: Plautīnus, Latīnus.[2]
  3. From animal names: canīnus, equīnus, and as a feminine noun for the meat: agnīna.[4]

Word family

-inus2 of plants, colours, materials

Confidence
Probable
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
70–19 BC Virgil
Borrowed from
Ancient Greek -ινος
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek -ινος

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ɪ.nʊs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [i.nus][1]

Forms

-inus (feminine -ina, neuter -inum); first/second-declension suffix[1]

Etymology

The suffix with a short vowel is in most cases borrowed from Ancient Greek -ῐνος (-ĭnos), taken from words such as καννάβινος (kannábinos) (Latin cannabinus, “hempen”) and πράσινος (prásinos) (Latin prasinus, “leek-green”).[1][2] Weiss similarly regards fāginus (“of beech”) as probably not native, with the suffix borrowed from Greek or modelled on it,[4] while the OLD analyses that word as fāgus with -nus.[2] Traces of an inherited suffix with a short vowel survive in native words such as frāxinus, but it seems to have stopped being productive before the historical period.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Virgil, of 70–19 BC,[5] has fāginus (“of beech-wood”).[4][2]

Semantic evolution

It is found especially in adjectives of colour and in those from the names of plants, spices, perfumes, minerals and exotic cloths.[1] prasinus came to name the green faction of charioteers at the circus, in Suetonius.[2]

Timeline

  • 70–19 BC – Virgil uses fāginus.[4][5]

Meanings

Suffix

  1. Alternative form of -īnus, especially for colours and materials: prasinus, cannabinus, fāginus.[1][4]

Word family

  • -nus
  • English -ine

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Weiss, Michael (2020), Outline of the Historical and Comparative Grammar of Latin, 2nd ed., Ann Arbor: Beech Stave
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“-inus.” Etymologically, 6 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/la/-inus. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

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