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admirandus

Etymology and origin of the Latin word admirandus

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Varro
Ultimate origin
Latin (mīror)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ad.miːˈran.dʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ad.miˈran.dus][1]

Forms

admīrandus (feminine admīranda, neuter admīrandum); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is the gerundive of admīror “to wonder at, admire”.[2][1] ⟨admīror⟩ is from ad- and mīror (“to wonder at”).[1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Varro, and Köbler's is Cicero.[2][3] Köbler dates Varro 116–27 BC.[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant astonishing, remarkable, extraordinary, as in Varro, and worthy of admiration, admirable, wonderful, as in Cicero, Caesar and Virgil.[2][4]

Timeline

  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it.[2][3]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of the admirable.[2][3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Astonishing, remarkable.[2]
  2. Admirable, wonderful.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
Cite this entry

“Admirandus.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/admirandus. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·