vetustus

Latin

Etymology

From vetus (“old”) +‎ -tus (“-ful”, suffix forming adjectives denoting plenty or possession of some trait). The original meaning was "having many years", since the adjective was formed at a time when vetus still had its old meaning "year", rather than "old". Confer the cognate Ancient Greek word ἔτος (étos).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /u̯eˈtus.tus/, [u̯ɛˈt̪ʊs̠t̪ʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /veˈtus.tus/, [veˈt̪ust̪us]

Adjective

vetustus (feminine vetusta, neuter vetustum); first/second-declension adjective

1. that which has existed a long time; old, ancient, aged; established, lasting

   Synonyms: prīscus, prīstinus, senex, longinquus, vetus

   Antonyms: novus, recēns

2. after or in the manner of the ancients, old-fashioned, old-time

   Synonyms: antīquus, prīscus, longinquus

   Antonym: recēns

3. from ancient times or antiquity; archaic
4. (figuratively, of a disease) chronic, prolonged, lingering, established

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

Number	Singular				Plural
Case / Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	vetustus	vetusta	vetustum		vetustī	vetustae	vetusta
Genitive	vetustī	vetustae	vetustī		vetustōrum	vetustārum	vetustōrum
Dative	vetustō		vetustō		vetustīs
Accusative	vetustum	vetustam	vetustum		vetustōs	vetustās	vetusta
Ablative	vetustō	vetustā	vetustō		vetustīs
Vocative	vetuste	vetusta	vetustum		vetustī	vetustae	vetusta

Derived terms

• vetustē
• vetustescō

Related terms

• vetera
• veterāmentārius
• veterānus
• veterārius
• veterascō
• veterātor
• veterātōriē
• veterātōrius
• veterātrix
• veterātus
• veterētum
• veterīnārius
• veterīnus
• veternōsitās
• veternōsus
• veternus
• veterō
• vetulus
• vetus
• vetusculus
• vetustās

Descendants

• Gallo-Italic:
  • Emilian: bdost
  • Piedmontese: viosc
• Sardinian
  • Logudorese: bedustu
• Borrowings:
  • → Catalan: vetust
  • → English: vetust (obsolete)
  • → French: vétuste
  • → Italian: vetusto
  • → Portuguese: vetusto
  • → Spanish: vetusto

References

• “vetustus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “vetustus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• vetustus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002) “vetustus”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, volumes 14: U–Z, page 365