LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinesecond declension

atavus

atavus m (genitive atavī)
Classical[ˈa.ta.wʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈaː.ta.vus]

Meaning

  1. masculineancestor
  2. masculinegreat-great-great-grandfather

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeatavusatavī
genitiveatavīatavōrum
atavum
dativeatavōatavīs
accusativeatavumatavōs
ablativeatavōatavīs
vocativeataveatavī

ătăvus (archaic, -ŏs), i, m. at avus,
I. the father of a great-great-grandfather (abavus) or great-great-grandmother, opp. to adnepos.
I. Lit., cf. Dig. 38, 10, 1; 38, 10, 10; Isid. Orig. 9, 5, 9 and 10; 9, 6, 23 and 25; Plaut. Pers. 1, 2, 5; Cic. Cael. 14.—
II. In gen., sometimes, like avus, abavus, etc., for ancestor, forefather: Turnus avis atavisque potens, Verg. A. 7, 56: Evocat antiquis proavos atavosque sepulchris, Ov. Am. 1, 8, 17: Maecenas, atavis edite regibus, Hor. C. 1, 1, 1.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂éd
  2. Proto-Italic*ad
  3. Proto-Italic*ad-
  4. Latinatavus

Latin avus Latin atavus From at- + avus (“grandfather”).

Quick answers

What does atavus mean in Latin?
atavus, a noun, means “ancestor; great-great-great-grandfather”.
What is the genitive of atavus?
The genitive singular is atavī. atavus is masculine, second declension.
How do you pronounce atavus?
In classical Latin, [ˈa.ta.wʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈaː.ta.vus].
Where does atavus come from?
Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd → Proto-Italic *ad → Proto-Italic *ad- → Latin atavus.