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aerinus

Etymology and origin of the Latin word aerinus

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aerinus1 of air

Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
Varro
Borrowed from
Ancient Greek ἀέρινος
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek (ἀήρ)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [aːˈɛ.rɪ.nʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [aˈɛː.ri.nus][1]

Forms

āerinus (feminine āerina, neuter āerinum); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

The adjective “of air” is borrowed from Ancient Greek ἀέρινος (aérinos, “of air”), from ἀήρ (aḗr, “air”).[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its earliest source is Varro's Menippean Satires.[4][3] Köbler dates Varro 116–27 BC.[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant of air, aerial, made of air, as in Varro, and in Tertullian sky-coloured.[2][4]

Timeline

  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it.[4][3]
  • c. 160–220 AD – Tertullian uses it of colour.[4][3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Of air, aerial.[2][4]
  2. Sky-coloured.[4]

aerinus2 of darnel

Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
Pliny the Elder
Borrowed from
Ancient Greek αἴρινος
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek (αἶρα)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈae̯.rɪ.nʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈɛː.ri.nus][1]

Forms

aerinus (feminine aerina, neuter aerinum); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

The adjective “of darnel” is borrowed from Ancient Greek αἴρινος (aírinos, “of darnel”), from αἶρα (aîra, “darnel”), and Lewis & Short and Gaffiot derive it from Latin aera “darnel”.[2][3][5][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its source is Pliny the Elder's Natural History.[5][4][3] Köbler dates Pliny 23/24–79 AD.[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant connected with or made from darnel or cockle, as of a meal in Pliny.[2][5][4]

Timeline

  • 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses it.[5][3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Of or made from darnel.[2][5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  5. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Aerinus.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/aerinus. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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