glavus

Latin

Etymology

From a crossing of Latin gladius (“sword”) and either clāva (“club”) or Proto-Celtic *kladiwos, although von Wartburg finds the latter possibility unlikely. Attested between the third and the sixth centuries CE.

Noun

glā̆vus m (genitive glā̆vī); second declension (Late Latin)

1. a sort of weapon

Declension

Second-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	glā̆vus	glā̆vī
genitive	glā̆vī	glā̆vōrum
dative	glā̆vō	glā̆vīs
accusative	glā̆vum	glā̆vōs
ablative	glā̆vō	glā̆vīs
vocative	glā̆ve	glā̆vī

Descendants

• Old French: glaive (see there for further descendants)
• Old Occitan: glavi

References

• Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002) “gladius”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, volume 4: G H I, page 145