-eius

See also: eius

Latin

Alternative forms

-ejus, -eiius, -eijus (orthographic)

Etymology 1

By analogy with nomina gentilicia of Oscan or perhaps Etruscan origin, such as Pompeius (from 𐌐𐌖𐌌𐌐𐌄 (pumpe, “five”)), Tarpeius, Saufeius. Difficult to distinguish from Etymology 2.^[1] Gentilics ending in -eius may have originated from a Faliscan variant of this suffix, whereas -aius (as in Anaius, Popaius, Ulaius) may go back to Oscan, and -aeus (as in Annaeus) to Paelignian and Umbrian.^[2]

Pronunciation

(Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ei̯.i̯us/, [ɛi̯ːʊs̠]
(modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /e.jus/, [ejus]
Note: although the syllable is heavy due to the regularly geminate intervocalic /j/, the vowel is thought to have been short on etymological grounds.

Suffix

-eius (feminine -eia, neuter -eium); first/second-declension suffix

forms nomina gentilicia
‎Elatus → ‎Elateius

‎Proculus → ‎Proculeius

Usage notes

This suffix was also used to form humorous words such as sterteia (“one who snores”) from stertō (“snore”) by Petronius and sterceia (“a maidservant who cleans the excrement of children”) from stercus (“dung, manure”) by Tertullian.

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

	masculine	feminine	neuter	masculine	feminine	neuter
	singular			plural
nominative	-eius	-eia	-eium	-eiī	-eiae	-eia
genitive	-eiī	-eiae	-eiī	-eiōrum	-eiārum	-eiōrum
dative	-eiō	-eiae	-eiō	-eiīs
accusative	-eium	-eiam	-eium	-eiōs	-eiās	-eia
ablative	-eiō	-eiā	-eiō	-eiīs
vocative	-ei	-eia	-eium	-eiī	-eiae	-eia

The Masculine Singular Vocative is monosyllabic.^[3]

Derived terms

-uleius

Etymology 2

Derived adjectives from nouns and names with an -ē stem with the suffix -ius (such as plēbēius (“of the common people”) from plēbēs (“the common people”), an archaic form of plēbs). Difficult to distinguish from Etymology 1.

Pronunciation

(Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /eː.i̯us/, [eːi̯ʊs̠]
(modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /e.jus/, [ejus]
Note: the vowel is thought to have been long on etymological grounds.

Suffix

-ēius (feminine -ēia, neuter -ēium); first/second-declension suffix

forms adjectives from nouns and proper names
‎pāgus + ‎-ēius → ‎pāgēius

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

	masculine	feminine	neuter	masculine	feminine	neuter
	singular			plural
nominative	-ēius	-ēia	-ēium	-ēiī	-ēiae	-ēia
genitive	-ēiī	-ēiae	-ēiī	-ēiōrum	-ēiārum	-ēiōrum
dative	-ēiō	-ēiae	-ēiō	-ēiīs
accusative	-ēium	-ēiam	-ēium	-ēiōs	-ēiās	-ēia
ablative	-ēiō	-ēiā	-ēiō	-ēiīs
vocative	-ēie	-ēia	-ēium	-ēiī	-ēiae	-ēia

Etymology 3

From Ancient Greek adjectives in -ήϊος (-ḗïos), Epic form of Attic -εῖος (-eîos). Perhaps more properly considered a poetically variant scansion of the suffixes under Etymology 1 and 2, modelled on the corresponding situation in Greek.

Pronunciation

(Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /eː.i.us/, [eːiʊs̠]
(modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /e.i.us/, [eius]
Note: this suffix is trisyllabic.

Suffix

-ēïus (feminine -ēïa, neuter -ēïum); first/second-declension suffix

(literary, poetic) Forms adjectives, chiefly from Ancient Greek nouns, but occasionally from native ones as well
‎Ancient Greek φῠ́λλος (phŭ́llos, “leaf”) → ‎Phyllēïus (corresponding to Φῠλλήϊος (Phŭllḗïos))

‎Ancient Greek Πρῐ́ᾱπος (Prĭ́āpos) → ‎Priāpēïus (corresponding to Πρῐᾱπήϊος (Prĭāpḗïos))

‎Tiberius → ‎Tiberēïus

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

	masculine	feminine	neuter	masculine	feminine	neuter
	singular			plural
nominative	-ēïus	-ēïa	-ēïum	-ēïī	-ēïae	-ēïa
genitive	-ēïī	-ēïae	-ēïī	-ēïōrum	-ēïārum	-ēïōrum
dative	-ēïō	-ēïae	-ēïō	-ēïīs
accusative	-ēïum	-ēïam	-ēïum	-ēïōs	-ēïās	-ēïa
ablative	-ēïō	-ēïā	-ēïō	-ēïīs
vocative	-ēïe	-ēïa	-ēïum	-ēïī	-ēïae	-ēïa

References

^ Leumann, Manu, Hofmann, Johann Baptist, Szantyr, Anton (1977) “-eius -eia”, in Lateinische Grammatik: Lateinische Laut- und Formenlehre, CH Beck, page 289
^ Chase, George Davis (1897) “The Origin of Roman Praenomina”, in Harvard Studies in Classical Philology, volume 8, page 120
^ Leumann, Manu, Hofmann, Johann Baptist, Szantyr, Anton (1977) “325: Dekl. Sing. Vokativ”, in Lateinische Grammatik: Lateinische Laut- und Formenlehre, CH Beck, page 424

[1] Leumann, Manu, Hofmann, Johann Baptist, Szantyr, Anton (1977) “-eius -eia”, in Lateinische Grammatik: Lateinische Laut- und Formenlehre, CH Beck, page 289

[2] Chase, George Davis (1897) “The Origin of Roman Praenomina”, in Harvard Studies in Classical Philology, volume 8, page 120

[3] Leumann, Manu, Hofmann, Johann Baptist, Szantyr, Anton (1977) “325: Dekl. Sing. Vokativ”, in Lateinische Grammatik: Lateinische Laut- und Formenlehre, CH Beck, page 424

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