vir

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈwɪr]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈvir]^[1]

Forms

vir m (genitive virī); second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *wiro-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *wiHrós (“man, young man, warrior”).^[2][1] The short vowel in Latin is explained by Dybo's law.^[2] The word replaced the inherited Proto-Italic *nēr “man”.^[1]

Cognate with Umbrian uiro (“men, troops”), Old Irish fer, Sanskrit वीर (vīrá-, “man, hero”), Lithuanian výras (“man, husband”), Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂 (wair) and Old English wer, all meaning “man”.^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It appears from Livius Andronicus onwards.^[2][4] In Plautus a character asked whether he is male or female answers vir sum “I am a man”.^[3]

Semantic evolution

The word meant an adult male as opposed to a woman or a child, and it was also used of a husband or a lover.^[3][5] In a stronger sense it meant a true man, one with courage and resolve, the quality called virtūs.^[3][2] With less weight on sex it meant a person, and in the plural people in general, as in Ennius' volito vivos per ora virum “I fly alive on the lips of men”.^[3] It also meant a soldier, especially a foot soldier, and the crew of a ship.^[3]

In the titles of boards of officials it formed compounds such as triumvir and decemvir.^[3][1] In medieval Latin it meant a vassal.^[6]

Timeline

• 280/260–before 200 BC – Livius Andronicus uses it.^[2][4]
• 204–169 BC – Ennius writes that he flies alive on the lips of men.^[3][4]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it for a man and for a husband.^[3][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of a true man who defends the republic.^[3][4]
• Middle Ages – It means a vassal.^[6]

Meanings

Noun

1. A man, an adult male.^[3][5]
2. A husband; a lover.^[3]
3. A true man, a man of courage.^[3]
4. A person, (plural) people.^[3]
5. A soldier, a foot soldier, (plural) the crew of a ship.^[3]
6. (Medieval Latin) A vassal.^[6]

Word family

• centumvir
• decemvir
• duumvir
• ēvirō
• octōvir
• quīnquevir
• sēmivir
• septemvir
• sexvir
• triumvir
• vira
• viragō
• virīlis
• virtūs

Related words

• English virile
• English virtue
• English werewolf

Usage notes

The genitive plural virum for virorum is frequent in poetry.^[3][5] Unlike homo, which means a human being in general, vir stresses manhood and standing.^[7]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f 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 m n o p Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.