Etymologically
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veteranus

Etymology and origin of the Latin word veteranus

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Varro
Ultimate origin
Latin (vetus)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin veteranus
English veteran

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [wɛ.tɛˈraː.nʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ve.teˈraː.nus][1]

Forms

veterānus (feminine veterāna, neuter veterānum); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from the stem ⟨veter-⟩ of vetus “old” with the suffix -ānus.[2][1][3] Inscriptions have the syncopated ⟨vetrānus⟩.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

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

Semantic evolution

It meant mature, old, of animals and plants in technical language, as Varro's bovēs veterānī and Columella's vines and hens.[2][4] Of troops it meant experienced in action, veteran, and as a noun a veteran, as Cicero's veterānī mīlitēs and Caesar's veteran legions.[2][5] Seneca uses it of experience in other occupations, and of an experienced person.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant veteran.[6] It survives in Romanian bătrân “old”, and French vétéran gave English veteran about 1500, “an old experienced soldier”.[1][7]

Timeline

  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of mature oxen.[2][4][3]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of veteran soldiers.[2][5][3]
  • c. 1500 – English veteran is recorded.[7]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Of animals and plants, mature, old.[2]
  2. Of troops, experienced, veteran; as a noun, a veteran.[2]
  3. Experienced; an experienced person.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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 Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com

Borrowed into

Cite this entry

“Veteranus.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/veteranus. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·