LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinesecond declension

agnus

agnus m (genitive agnī, feminine agna)
Classical[ˈaŋ.nʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈaɲ.ɲus]
Mille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. masculinea lamb; often used as a sacrifice
    vīllaque[…]abundat porcō, haedō, agnōThe farm abounds in pigs, young goats and lambs.44 BCE, Cicero, Cato maior de senectute 16.56
    Agnus absque maculā.A lamb without blemish.Vulgata—Exodus 12.5

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

fīlius ovis; parvus et mollis est.
agnus -ī m — in Mille Verba, Animālia

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeagnus
agnellus		agnī
agnellī
genitiveagnī
agnellī		agnōrum
agnum, agnellōrum
dativeagnō
agnellō		agnīs
agnellīs
accusativeagnum
agnellum		agnōs
agnellōs
ablativeagnō
agnellō		agnīs
agnellīs
vocativeagne
agnelle		agnī
agnellī

agnus, i, m. (
I. gen. plur. agnūm, Porc. Licin. ap. Gell. 19, 9, 13) [cf. ἀμνός, which Benfey connects with ὄϊς = Sanscr. avis; Lith. ávinas = sheep], a lamb, usually for sacrifice: TERTIA. SPOLIA. IANO. QVIRINO. AGNOM. MAREM. CAEDITO, from an ancient law (of Numa?), in Fest. s. v. opima, p. 190: IVNONI. CRINIBVS. DEMISSIS. AGNAM. FEMINAM. CAEDITO., from a law of Numa in Gell. 4, 33, and Fest. s. v. pellices, p. 121: jam ego te hic agnum faciam et medium distruncabo, Plaut. Truc. 2, 7, 54; Varr. R. R. 2, 2, 4 al.: agnus absque maculā, Vulg. Exod. 12, 5: agnos immaculatos, ib. Lev. 14, 10: villa abundat porco, haedo, agno, Cic. Sen. 16, 56; id. Div. 2, 11, 39; Ov. M. 7, 320; Hor. C. 3, 18, 13: ara avet immolato Spargier agno, id. ib. 4, 11, 8 al.—Prov.: Agnum lupo eripere velle, to wish to rescue a lamb from a wolf, i. e. to wish what is impossible, Plaut. Poen. 3, 5, 31.—Eccl. Lat., of Christ: quasi agni immaculati Christi, Vulg. 1 Pet. 1, 19: Ecce Agnus Dei, ib. Joan. 1, 29: ceciderunt coram Agno, ib. Apoc. 5, 8 al.

Origins

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.

Descendants
  • Catalananyell
  • Italianagno
  • Portugueseanhofrom Old Galician-Portuguese anno
  • Neapolitanàino
  • Old Frenchagne
  • Old Frenchaigne
  • Old Frenchainne
  • Galicianañofrom Old Galician-Portuguese anno
  • Sicilianaiuno
  • Sicilianavuno

Quick answers

What does agnus mean in Latin?
agnus, a noun, means “a lamb; often used as a sacrifice”.
What is the genitive of agnus?
The genitive singular is agnī. agnus is masculine, second declension.
How do you pronounce agnus?
In classical Latin, [ˈaŋ.nʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈaɲ.ɲus].