Etymologically
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ferus

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈfɛ.rʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈfɛː.rus][1]

Forms

ferus (feminine fera, neuter ferum); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *χwero-, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰweh₁r- (“wild animal”).[2][1] Cognate with Ancient Greek θήρ (thḗr, “wild animal”) (Aeolic φήρ (phḗr)), Lithuanian žvėrìs, Old Church Slavonic звѣрь (zvěrĭ) and Tocharian B śerwe (“hunter”).[2][3] The ending ⟨-rus⟩ was kept, unlike vir, under the influence of the feminine fera “wild beast”.[2] De Vaan thinks ferōx “fierce-looking” may be a source of the suffix -ōx.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from the Carmen Arvale and Naevius.[2] Köbler dates Naevius c. 235–200 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant undomesticated, wild, of animals and birds, as Plautus' free man in captivity is like a wild bird, and of plants and land, uncultivated.[3][5] Of people it meant uncivilized, rough, then unruly, high-spirited, and fierce, warlike, cruel or inhuman, and of things harmful or dangerous.[3] As a noun ferus was a wild animal, and the feminine fera the usual word for a wild beast.[3][6]

In Medieval Latin fera was the game of the royal forest, especially deer.[7] It is the source of French fier and Italian fiero, and English fierce came from Old French in the mid-13th century.[1][8]

Timeline

  • c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it.[2][4]
  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus compares a captive to a wild bird.[3][4]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of a rough person.[3][4]
  • mid-13th century – English fierce is recorded.[8]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Wild, untamed, (of plants and land) uncultivated.[3][5]
  2. (Of people) uncivilized, rough.[3]
  3. Unruly, high-spirited.[3]
  4. Fierce, warlike, savage.[3]
  5. Cruel, ruthless, (of things) harmful, dangerous.[3]

Noun

  1. A wild animal.[3]

Word family

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com