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murreus

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word murreus

murreus1 myrrh-coloured

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
65–8 BC, Horace
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek (μύρρα)
Etymology tree of murreus1
inherited borrowed derived
Latin murra
Latin murreus

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈmʊr.re.ʊs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈmur.re.us][1]

Forms

murreus (feminine murrea, neuter murreum); first/second-declension adjective[1] It is also spelled myrrheus and murrheus.[2][3]

Etymology

The adjective is from Latin murra (“myrrh”) + -eus.[2][1] The noun was borrowed from Ancient Greek μύρρα (múrrha, “myrrh”).[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It appears first in Horace,[4] who bids Neaera tie up her murreum crinem in a knot; the OLD takes it as hair of the colour of myrrh, a reddish brown, and perhaps also hair full of myrrh or a like perfume.[2] The ancient commentator Porphyrio explained the colour as between blond and black.[5]

Semantic evolution

Lewis & Short divide its senses into perfumed with myrrh and of the colour of myrrh, yellowish.[3] The Corpus Tibullianum has it of hair dripping with Syrian dew, where some manuscripts read myrtea instead.[2] In Prudentius the murrea dona are the gift of myrrh brought by the Magi.[5]

Timeline

  • 65–8 BC – Horace uses it of hair.[2][4]
  • 57/46–12 BC – Propertius uses it of an onyx scent jar.[2][5][4]
  • 348/49–c. 413 AD – Prudentius uses it of the Magi's gift of myrrh.[5][4]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Of the colour of myrrh, reddish brown or yellowish.[2][3]
  2. Perfumed with myrrh.[2][3]
  3. (Late Latin) Of myrrh, consisting of myrrh.[5]

murreus2 of fluorspar

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
57/46–12 BC, Propertius
Ultimate origin
Latin (murra)
Etymology tree of murreus2
inherited borrowed derived
Latin murra
Latin murreus

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈmʊr.re.ʊs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈmur.re.us][1]

Forms

murreus (feminine murrea, neuter murreum); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

The adjective is from Latin murra (“murra, fluorspar”) + -eus.[2][1] The OLD compares that noun with Ancient Greek μόρρια (mórria) and takes the word to be of Asian origin.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It appears first in Propertius,[2][4] who lists among costly goods brought from abroad murrea pocula, cups of murra “baked in Parthian fires”.[2][5]

Semantic evolution

It describes vessels made of murra, a highly prized mineral, probably fluorspar and perhaps also agate.[2] Seneca says it makes no difference whether a cup is of gold, crystal or murra,[5] and a passage of the jurist Javolenus in the Digest names vessels of murra beside glassware.[2][5]

Timeline

  • 57/46–12 BC – Propertius speaks of cups of murra from Parthia.[2][4]
  • 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca mentions cups of murra.[2][5][4]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Made of murra, a prized mineral, probably fluorspar.[2][3]

Usage notes

In Propertius' line on an onyx jar filled with saffron scent, the OLD takes the word as myrrh-coloured unless it means made of murra;[2] the TLL thinks it hardly belongs to the stone.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
Cite this entry

“Murreus.” Etymologically, 20 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/murreus. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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