LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinesecond declension

cervus

cervus m (genitive cervī)
Classical[ˈkɛr.wʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈt͡ʃɛr.vus]

Meaning

  1. Europemasculinered deer, stag, (North America) elk
  2. broadlymasculineforked stakes
  3. masculinerunaway slave
  4. masculinecheval de frise

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

fera celerrima cornuta
cervus -ī (m) — in Aeneis, ch. 2

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativecervuscervī
genitivecervīcervōrum
dativecervōcervīs
accusativecervum
cervom		cervōs
ablativecervōcervīs
vocativecervecervī

cervus (old orthogr. cervŏs; cf. Quint. 1, 7, 26), i, m. kindr. with cornu and carina,
I. a stag, a deer, Plin. 8, 32, 50, § 112 sq.: alipedes, Lucr. 6, 765: fugax, Hor. C. 4, 6, 34; Ov. Tr. 3, 11, 11: fugientes, Hor. C. 3, 12, 11: pavidi, Ov. F. 5, 173: surgentem in cornua, Verg. A. 10, 725 al.—As a type of fleetness: vincere cervum cursu, Plaut. Poen. 3, 1, 27.—
II. Transf. (from resemblance to the horns of a stag; cf. Varr. L. L. 5, § 117 Müll.): cervi, forked stakes. *
A. As supports of the vine, Tert. Anim. 19.— More freq.,
B. In the art of war, as a protection against the enemy, a chevaux-defrise, Caes. B. G. 7, 72; Liv. 44, 11, 4; Tib. 4, 1, 84; Sil. 10, 414; Serv. ad Verg. E. 2, 29.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ḱer-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*ḱerh₂-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*ḱer(h₂)wos
  4. Proto-Italic*kerwos
  5. Latincervus

Inherited from Proto-Italic *kerwos, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱer(h₂)wos, from *ḱerh₂- + *-wós. Cognate with Proto-Celtic *karwos (“deer”), Ancient Greek κεραός (keraós, “horned”), Proto-Indo-Iranian *ćr̥Hwás (“horn”). The shift in meaning from “horned” to “deer” may be common Italo-Celtic development, compare English hart.

Italo-Dalmatian
  • Italiancervo
  • Italiancervio
  • Galluresecelvufrom Corsican cervu
  • Sassaresezèivufrom Corsican cervu
  • Malteseċervfrom Italian cervo
  • Siciliancervu
  • Venetancervo
Southern Gallo-Romance
  • Occitancèrvi
  • Catalancervofrom Old Catalan cervo
Ibero-Romance
  • Portuguesecervofrom Old Galician-Portuguese cervo
  • Spanishciervofrom Old Spanish ciervo
  • Asturianciervu
  • Galiciancervofrom Old Galician-Portuguese cervo
  • Ladinosiervofrom Old Spanish ciervo
  • Ladinoסיירב׳וfrom Old Spanish ciervo
  • Ladinosyervofrom Old Spanish ciervo
Balkano-Romance
  • Romaniancerb
  • Aromaniantserbu
  • Megleno-Romanianțerb
Northern Gallo-Romance
  • Frenchcerffrom Old French cerf
  • Franco-Provençalcèrf
  • Picardcherfefrom Old French cerf
Insular Romance
  • Campidanesecerbu
  • Logudoresechervu
  • Nuoresechervu
Rhaeto-Romance
  • Friuliancierf
  • Ladincerf
  • Romanshtschierv
Gallo-Italic
  • Emilianzêruv
  • Liguriançervo
  • Lombardcèrf
Borrowings
  • Dutchcerviduct
  • Esperantocervo

Quick answers

What does cervus mean in Latin?
cervus, a noun, means “red deer, stag, (North America) elk; forked stakes; runaway slave”.
What is the genitive of cervus?
The genitive singular is cervī. cervus is masculine, second declension.
How do you pronounce cervus?
In classical Latin, [ˈkɛr.wʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈt͡ʃɛr.vus].
Where does cervus come from?
Proto-Indo-European *ḱer- → Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂- → Proto-Indo-European *ḱer(h₂)wos → Proto-Italic *kerwos → Latin cervus.