English → Latin
“nervous” in Latin
nervōsussinewy; nervous; vigorous, energeticlacertōsusmuscular, brawny, powerfulrōbustusof oak, oaken; hard, firm, solid, robustvalidusstrong; healthy, well; worthyvibrōto shake, agitate, brandish; to launch, hurl; to threatennervusa cord, string, thong or wire; the leather with which shields were covered; a fiber
The English word nervous itself goes back to Latin nervus, through nervōsus.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
nervous
Of or belonging to the nerves, nervosus. Nervous system, nervi (the nerves, as Cels., 1, praef., p. 23, Bip., validi nervi an infirmi; i. e., a strong or weak nervous system): a nervous disease, nervorum morbus (not morbus nerveus): nervous fever, febris nervosa.
Strong in nerve, nervosus (PROP.; then figuratively = strong, powerful; of style, of an orator, etc. ☞ Only in very late Latin for powerful or vigorous in body): lacertosus, robustus, validus (muscular, robust, strong in body; of men and animals): quibusdam nervis intentus (figuratively, strong, vigorous; of style, etc.): vibrans (figuratively, of style, of ideas). In a nervous manner, nervose (e.g., dicere).
Weak in the nerves, aeger nervis (Tac., Ann., 15, 45, 3): nervis infirmis (after Cels., 1, praef., p. 23, Bip.): *nervis infirmis or resolutis laborans. A nervous state of body, nervorum valetudo (Suet., Vesp., 7); nervi infirmi (Cels. 1, praef., p. 23, Bip.; opposed to nervi validi): a nervous frame, corpus propter nervorum valetudinem collapsum (after Suet., Vesp., 7, and Verg., Georg., 3, 485).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for nervous?
- The usual Latin words for “nervous” are nervōsus, lacertōsus, rōbustus; also validus, vibrō, nervus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.