agnus

See also: Agnus

Latin

agnus (a lamb)

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *agʷnos, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂egʷnós (“lamb”).

Cognates include Ancient Greek ἀμνός (amnós), Old Church Slavonic агнѧ (agnę), Old English ēanian (English yean), and Albanian enjë.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈaɡ.nus/, [ˈäŋnʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈaɲ.ɲus/, [ˈäɲːus]

• Audio (Classical Latin, educated guess):

  (file)

Noun

agnus m (genitive agnī); second declension

1. a lamb, especially one used as a sacrifice

   Agnus absque maculā.

   A lamb without blemish.

   Villa abundat porco, haedo, agno.

   The farm abounds in pigs, young goats and lambs.

   Ecce Agnus Dei.

   Behold the Lamb of God.

Declension

Second-declension noun (contracted genitive plural).

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	agnus	agnī
Genitive	agnī	agnōrum agnum1
Dative	agnō	agnīs
Accusative	agnum	agnōs
Ablative	agnō	agnīs
Vocative	agne	agnī

¹Contraction found in poetry.

Derived terms

• agna
• agnellus
• agnicellulus
• agnicellus
• agniculus
• agnīnus
• agnulus
• agnum lupo eripere velle
• Agnus Deī
• agnus Phrixēus

 

Descendants

• Galician: año
• Italian: agno
• Neapolitan: àino
• Old French: agne, aigne, ainne
• Portuguese: anho
• Sicilian: aiuno, avuno, amuno (Calabrian)
• Catalan: anyell

References

• “agnus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “agnus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• agnus in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• agnus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• agnus in Ramminger, Johann (2016 July 16 (last accessed)) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎^[1], pre-publication website, 2005-2016
• “agnus” on page 97/2 of the Oxford Latin Dictionary (2nd ed., 2012)
• Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002) “agnus”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, volumes 24: Refonte A–Aorte, page 266
• Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1911) “agnus”, in Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German), page 19

Lithuanian

Etymology

A verbal adjective from an unattested root *ag- ("to drive"), paralleled by Old Irish án (“quick”) < *ag-nos, Sanskrit अजिर (ajirá-, “agile, quick”). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ- (“to drive”); compare Old Irish aigid, Sanskrit अजति (ajati). The Lithuanian form appears to have undergone depalatalization before the nasal.

The connection with Russian яглый (jaglyj, “active, energetic”) is rejected by Vasmer.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɐɡˈnʊs/

Adjective

agnùs m (feminine agnì, neuter agnù) stress pattern 4

1. (Samogitian) agile, energetic

Declension

Non-pronominal forms (neįvardžiuotinės formos) of agnus

positive degree
neuter		agnù
	masculine			feminine
	singular	plural		singular	plural
nominative	agnùs	ãgnūs		agnì	ãgnios
genitive	agnaũs	agnių̃		agniõs	agnių̃
dative	agniám	agníems		ãgniai	agnióms
accusative	ãgnų	agniùs		ãgnią	agniàs
instrumental	agniù	agniaĩs		agnià	agniomìs
locative	agniamè	agniuosè		agniojè	agniosè
vocative	agnùs	ãgnūs		agnì	ãgnios
comparative degree
neuter		agniaũ
	masculine			feminine
	singular	plural		singular	plural
nominative	agnèsnis	agnesnì		agnèsnė	agnèsnės
genitive	agnèsnio	agnesnių̃		agnesnė̃s	agnesnių̃
dative	agnesniám	agnesníems		agnèsnei	agnesnė̃ms
accusative	agnèsnį	agnesniùs		agnèsnę	agnesnès
instrumental	agnesniù	agnesniaĩs		agnesnè	agnesnėmìs
locative	agnesniamè	agnesniuosè		agnèsnėje	agnesnėsè
superlative degree
neuter		agniáusia
	masculine			feminine
	singular	plural		singular	plural
nominative	agniáusias	agniáusi		agniáusia	agniáusios
genitive	agniáusio	agniáusių		agniáusios	agniáusių
dative	agniáusiam	agniáusiems		agniáusiai	agniáusioms
accusative	agniáusią	agniáusius		agniáusią	agniáusias
instrumental	agniáusiu	agniáusiais		agniáusia	agniáusiomis
locative	agniáusiame	agniáusiuose		agniáusioje	agniáusiose

Pronominal forms (įvardžiuotinės formos) of agnus

positive degree
	masculine			feminine
	singular	plural		singular	plural
nominative	agnùsis	agníeji		agnióji	ãgniosios
genitive	ãgniojo	agnių̃jų		agniõsios	agnių̃jų
dative	agniájam	agníesiems		ãgniajai	agniósioms
accusative	ãgnųjį	agniúosius		ãgniąją	agnią́sias
instrumental	agniúoju	agniaĩsiais		agnią́ja	agniõsiomis
locative	agniãjame	agniuõsiuose		agniõjoje	agniõsiose
vocative	agnùsis	agníeji		agnióji	ãgniosios
comparative degree
	masculine			feminine
	singular	plural		singular	plural
nominative	agnesnỹsis	agnesníeji		agnesnióji	agnèsniosios
genitive	agnèsniojo	agnesnių̃jų		agnesniõsios	agnesnių̃jų
dative	agnesniájam	agnesníesiems		agnèsniajai	agnesniósioms
accusative	agnèsnįjį	agnesniúosius		agnèsniąją	agnesnią́sias
instrumental	agnesniúoju	agnesniaĩsiais		agnesnią́ja	agnesniõsiomis
locative	agnesniãjame	agnesniuõsiuose		agnesniõjoje	agnesniõsiose
superlative degree
	masculine			feminine
	singular	plural		singular	plural
nominative	agniáusiasis	agniáusieji		agniáusioji	agniáusiosios
genitive	agniáusiojo	agniáusiųjų		agniáusiosios	agniáusiųjų
dative	agniáusiajam	agniáusiesiems		agniáusiajai	agniáusiosioms
accusative	agniáusiąjį	agniáusiuosius		agniáusiąją	agniáusiąsias
instrumental	agniáusiuoju	agniáusiaisiais		agniáusiąja	agniáusiosiomis
locative	agniáusiajame	agniáusiuosiuose		agniáusiojoje	agniáusiosiose

Derived terms

• agnumas
• agniai

Further reading

• “agnus”, in Lietuvių kalbos žodynas [Dictionary of the Lithuanian language], lkz.lt, 1941–2024
• “agnus”, in Dabartinės lietuvių kalbos žodynas [Dictionary of contemporary Lithuanian], ekalba.lt, 1954–2024