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-tus

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word -tus

-tus1 abstract and collective nouns

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

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈtuːs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈtus][1]

Forms

-tūs f (genitive -tūtis); third declension[1]

Etymology

The suffix for abstract and collective nouns is inherited from Proto-Indo-European *-tuHts.[1] Fortson gives it as *-tūt-, from *-tuh₂-t-, beside *-tāt-.[2] Weiss takes it as probably a t-stem derivative of an instrumental in *-tu-h₁.[3]

Compare Proto-Celtic *-tūss and Gothic -𐌳𐌿𐌸𐍃 (-dūþs).[1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus already has senectūs “old age”, in the Menaechmi, and servitūs “bondage”, in the Pseudolus.[4]

Semantic evolution

Weiss counts only four nouns in common use, iuventūs, senectūs, servitūs and virtūs, made from nouns and adjectives.[3] Its function is nearly the same as that of -tās.[3]

Timeline

Meanings

Suffix

  1. Forms feminine abstract nouns or collectives from nouns and adjectives: iuventūs “youth, young people”, senectūs “old age”.[4][1][3]

Word family

-tus2 adjectives and past participles

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

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈtʊs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈtus][1]

Forms

-tus (feminine -ta, neuter -tum); first/second-declension suffix[1]

Etymology

The suffix for adjectives and past participles is inherited from Proto-Italic *-tos, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *-tós.[1] Sihler and Fortson describe the parent form as a verbal adjective built on the zero grade of the root.[6][2] It was not part of the verbal paradigm in the parent language, and Weiss considers it debatable whether it had already specialized in a passive function.[3]

Compare Sanskrit -त (-tá), Proto-Slavic *-tъ and Proto-Germanic *-þaz.[1] Sihler equates it with the Vedic participle in -tá- and the passive participles of Germanic weak verbs.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

CIL 1.1 has iouestod, an ablative singular of iūstus.[4] Plautus already has the possessive adjectives barbātus “bearded”, animātus “spirited” and hastātus “spearman”, and the active participle pōtus “having drunk”.[3]

Semantic evolution

As the perfect passive participle of Latin it had a place in the verb system that it lacked in the parent language, though some participles of transitive verbs keep an active sense, as pōtus and cēnātus.[3]

The same suffix made possessive adjectives from nouns (Weiss's barbātus),[3] and the OLD files under it the adjectives from nouns with stems in -s-, such as honestus and scelestus.[4]

Timeline

Meanings

Suffix

  1. Forms the past participle of verbs.[1][3]
  2. Forms adjectives meaning “provided with”: barbātus, animātus.[1][3]
  3. Forms adjectives from nouns with stems in -s-: honestus, scelestus, augustus, iūstus, onustus; also cruentus.[4]

Word family

-tus3 verbal nouns

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

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈtʊs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈtus][1]

Forms

-tus m (genitive -tūs); fourth declension[1]

Etymology

The suffix for verbal nouns is inherited from Proto-Italic *-tus, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *-tus, which derived action nouns from verb roots.[1][3][2]

Cognate with Sanskrit -तुम् (-tum), Proto-Germanic *-þuz, Ancient Greek -τύς (-tús) and Proto-Slavic *-tъ.[1] Weiss compares gustus with Gothic 𐌺𐌿𐍃𐍄𐌿𐍃 (kustus) “testing”.[3] According to Fortson, the supine is usually formed with *-tum, the accusative of this noun suffix.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus already has cursus “running”, in the Bacchides.[4] His genitive of sumptus can end in -ī, as in the Trinummus, a form found elsewhere in early Latin.[4]

Semantic evolution

Its nouns name the action of the verb, such as habitus, from habeō, and sumptus, from sūmō.[4] From verbs with a supine in -sum it appears as -sus, as in cāsus and cursus.[4]

Timeline

Meanings

Suffix

  1. Forms masculine action nouns from verbs: habitus, sumptus; as -sus from verbs whose supine is in -sum: cāsus, cursus.[4][1]

Word family

-tus4 adverbs

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

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [tʊs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [tus][1]

Forms

-tus (not comparable)[1]

Etymology

The suffix for adverbs is inherited from Proto-Italic *-tos, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *-tos.[1] Fortson counts *-tos, with its ablatival function, among the scattered suffixes that may or may not go back to true case endings.[2]

Compare the ending of Ancient Greek ἐντός (entós, “within”) and Sanskrit -तस् (-tas), as in अतस् (átas).[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus has dīvīnitus “by divine agency” in the Amphitruo.[4]

Semantic evolution

Weiss notes that these adverbs have ablatival force, as dīvīnitus and funditus “from the ground up”, from fundus.[3] The OLD files them under a form -itus.[4]

Timeline

Meanings

Suffix

  1. Forms adverbs, not comparable, with an ablatival sense “from”: caelitus “from heaven”, funditus, dīvīnitus.[1][3][2]

Word family

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Fortson, Benjamin W., IV (2010), Indo-European Language and Culture: An Introduction, 2nd ed., Malden, MA / Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Weiss, Michael (2020), Outline of the Historical and Comparative Grammar of Latin, 2nd ed., Ann Arbor: Beech Stave
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Sihler, Andrew L. (1995), New Comparative Grammar of Greek and Latin, New York: OUP

Related etymologies

  • -icus · also from Proto-Indo-European
  • -ivus · also from Proto-Indo-European
  • -osus · also from Proto-Indo-European
  • -ius · also from Proto-Indo-European
  • -culum · also from Proto-Indo-European
  • -men · also from Proto-Indo-European
  • -or · also from Proto-Indo-European
  • -io · also from Proto-Indo-European
Cite this entry

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

Last edited on . ·