funereus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [fuːˈnɛ.re.ʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [fuˈnɛː.re.us]^[1]

Forms

fūnereus (feminine fūnerea, neuter fūnereum); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is from fūnus “funeral” with the suffix -eus.^[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD and Gaffiot cite Virgil, of funeral torches.^[2][4] Köbler dates Virgil 70–19 BC.^[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant of a funeral, funerary, mourning, as in Virgil's fūnereae facēs, a poetic word for the classical fūnebris; and deadly, fatal, sinister, as in Ovid.^[2][5][4]

British Medieval Latin used it for funerary, and for funereal, black.^[6] It survives in Italian funereo and Spanish funéreo.^[1]

Timeline

• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it.^[2][3]
• 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid uses it of the deadly.^[2][3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of a funeral, funereal, mourning.^[2]
2. Deadly, fatal.^[2]

Related words

• fūnus
• fūnebris
• fūnestus

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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
5. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ 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