LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinethird declension

aurifex

aurifex m (genitive aurificis)
Classical[ˈau̯.rɪ.fɛks]Ecclesiastical[ˈaːu̯.ri.feks]

Meaning

  1. masculinegoldsmith
    Acus vocatur cum per se pisitur spica tantum aurificum ad usus.When the beard is ground by itself, without the grain, the result is known as acus, but it is only used by goldsmiths.77 CE – 79 CE, Plinius Maior, Naturalis Historia 18.23

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeaurifexaurificēs
genitiveaurificisaurificum
dativeaurificīaurificibus
accusativeaurificemaurificēs
ablativeaurificeaurificibus
vocativeaurifexaurificēs

aurĭfex, fĭcis, m. aurum-facio,
I. a worker in gold, goldsmith, Plaut. Aul. 3, 5, 34; id. Men. 3, 3, 2; 4, 3, 8; Varr. L. L. 8, § 68 Müll.; Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 25; id. de Or. 2, 38, 159; Vulg. 2 Esdr. 3, 8; 3, 30; ib. Isa. 40, 19; 46, 6 al.

Origins

Proto-Indo-European *h₂ews-der. Proto-Italic *auzom Latin aurum Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-der. Proto-Italic *-faks Latin -fex Latin aurifex From aurum (“gold”) + -fex (“suffix representing a maker or producer”).

Borrowings
  • Catalanorífex
  • Englishaurifex
  • Portugueseaurífice
  • Spanishorífice
  • Old Italianorifice
  • Sicilianaurifichi
Italo-Romance
  • Italianorefice
  • Italianorafo
  • Italianorfo
  • Neapolitanrofece
Ibero-Romance
  • Portugueseourivesfrom Old Galician-Portuguese ourivez
  • Spanishoribefrom Old Spanish orebze
  • Spanishorebcefrom Old Spanish orebze
  • Mirandeseouribeiro
  • Galicianourivefrom Old Galician-Portuguese ourivez
Padanian
  • Emilianuràvvṡ
  • Romanshuraisfrom Lombard orees
  • Friulianorezifrom Venetan orexe
Southern Gallo-Romance
  • Old Occitanaurevelhier
  • Old Occitandaurezí

Quick answers

What does aurifex mean in Latin?
aurifex, a noun, means “goldsmith”.
What is the genitive of aurifex?
The genitive singular is aurificis. aurifex is masculine, third declension.
How do you pronounce aurifex?
In classical Latin, [ˈau̯.rɪ.fɛks]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈaːu̯.ri.feks].