-urnus

Latin

Alternative forms

• -rnus

Etymology

By reanalysis of diurnus (“of the day”), which is from obsolete nominative diūs + -nus. Probably first spread to nocturnus (“of the night”) analogically, then to other terms.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈur.nus/, [ˈʊrnʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈur.nus/, [ˈurnus]

Suffix

-urnus (feminine -urna, neuter -urnum); first/second-declension suffix

1. Enlargement of -nus (suffix forming adjectives).

   ‎albus + ‎-urnus → ‎alburnus

   ‎diū (comparative stem: diūt-) + ‎-urnus → ‎diūturnus

   ‎nox (oblique stem: noct-) + ‎-urnus → ‎nocturnus

   ‎tacitus + ‎-urnus → ‎taciturnus

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

	singular				plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	-urnus	-urna	-urnum		-urnī	-urnae	-urna
genitive	-urnī	-urnae	-urnī		-urnōrum	-urnārum	-urnōrum
dative	-urnō	-urnae	-urnō		-urnīs
accusative	-urnum	-urnam	-urnum		-urnōs	-urnās	-urna
ablative	-urnō	-urnā	-urnō		-urnīs
vocative	-urne	-urna	-urnum		-urnī	-urnae	-urna

Derived terms

Latin terms suffixed with -urnus

alburnus

colurnus

diuturnus

laburnum

nocturnus

taciturnus

References

• “-urnus” on page 2,107/2 of the Oxford Latin Dictionary (1st ed., 1968–82)