noun · neutersecond declension
ferrum
ferrum n (genitive ferrī)
Classical[ˈfɛr.rũː]Ecclesiastical[ˈfɛr.rum]
№ 231 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- neuteriron
- metonymicallyneuterany tool made of iron
- neutersword
Urbi ferrō flammāque minitātus est.
He threatened the city with fire and sword.Ferro incumbere.
To fall on his sword. - neuterfight, clash
Non est miscix. ferrum optimum daturus est, sine fuga, carnarium in medio, ut amphitheater videat.
He is no flibbertigibbet, he will give the best fight, without flight, a carnage in the middle, so that the whole amphitheater will see it.c. 27 CE – 66 CE, Petronius, Satyricon 45.6c. 161, Dig. XXVIII.I.8.4 Gaius libro septimo decimo ad edictum provinciale Hi vero, qui ad ferrum aut ad bestias aut in metallum damnantur, libertatem perdunt bonaque eorum publicantur: unde apparet amittere eos testamenti factionem.
But those sentenced to fight in the arena or with the beasts or to work in the mines lose freedom and their assets are forfeited: hence one sees that the efficacy of their last will must be denied.
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
dūrum metallum ex quō arma fīunt; ``ferrum'' saepe = gladius.ferrum -ī n — in Mille Verba, Bellum et Arma
metallum gladiōrum; gladius ipseferrum -ī (n) — in Metamorphoses I, †
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | ferrum | ferra |
| genitive | ferrī | ferrōrum |
| dative | ferrō | ferrīs |
| accusative | ferrum | ferra |
| ablative | ferrō | ferrīs |
| vocative | ferrum | ferra |
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- omnia strata sunt ferro
- all have perished by the sword.
- acie (armis, ferro) decernere
- to fight a pitched battle.
- ferro viam facere (per confertos hostes)
- to cut one's way (through the enemies' ranks).
- omnia ferro ignique, ferro atque igni or ferro flammaque vastare
- to ravage with fire and sword.
ferrum, i, n. cf. Sanscr. dharti, firmness; Lat. firmus,
I. iron.
I. Lit., Plin. 34, 14, 39, § 138; Lucr. 1, 571; 5, 1241; 1286; Cic. N. D. 2, 60, 151; id. Leg. 2, 18, 45; Caes. B. G. 5, 12, 5; Hor. S. 1, 4, 20 et saep.:
mustum quod resipit ferrum, has a taste of iron, Varr. R. R. 1, 54, 3.—B. Poet.
1. As a fig. of hard-heartedness, unfeelingness, cruelty, etc.:
gerere ferrum in pectore, Ov. M. 9, 614; cf.: ferrum et scopulos gestare in corde, id. ib. 7, 33: durior ferro, id. ib. 14, 712; hence for the iron age, id. ib. 1, 127; 15, 260; Hor. Epod. 16, 65.—2. As an image of firmness, endurance, Ov. Pont. 4, 10, 3.—
II. Transf., any thing made of iron, an iron implement, as a plough: glebas proscindere ferro, Lucil. ap. Non. 401, 19:
solum terrae, Lucr. 5, 1295; cf. also, campum, Ov. M. 7, 119: ferro scindimus aequor, Verg. G. 1, 50; a hatchet: ferro mitiget agrum, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 186; an axe: mordaci velut icta ferro Pinus, id. C. 4, 6, 9; 4, 4, 60 (for which, shortly before, bipennis); cf. Lucr. 6, 168; a dart: petita ferro belua, Hor. Epod. 5, 10; the tip of an arrow: exstabat ferrum de pectore aduncum, Ov. M. 9, 128; the head (of a spear), Tac. G. 6; an iron stylus: dextra tenet ferrum, id. ib. 9, 522; hair-scissors: solitus longos ferro resecare capillos, id. ib. 11, 182; curling-irons: crines vibratos calido ferro, Verg. A. 12, 100 et saep.—Esp. freq. a sword: Drusum ferro. Metellum veneno sustulerat, Cic. N. D. 3, 33, 81: in aliquem cum ferro invadere, id. Caecin. 9, 25: aut ferro aut fame interire, Caes. B. G. 5, 30 fin.: uri virgis ferroque necari, Hor. S. 2, 7, 58; cf.: gladiator, ferrum recipere jussus, the stroke of the sword, Cic. Tusc. 2, 17, 41. So, ferrum et ignis, like our fire and sword, to denote devastation, utter destruction: huic urbi ferro ignique minitantur, Cic. Phil. 11, 14, 37; cf.: hostium urbes agrique ferro atque igni vastentur, Liv. 31, 7, 13: pontem ferro, igni, quacumque vi possent, interrumpant, id. 2, 10, 4; 30, 6, 9; 1, 59, 1: ecce ferunt Troës ferrumque ignemque Jovemque In Danaas classes, Ov. M. 13, 91: inque meos ferrum flammasque penates Impulit, id. ib. 12, 551; so, conversely, igni ferroque, Cic. Phil. 13, 21, 47; Liv. 35, 21, 10; cf. Tac. A. 14, 38; Suet. Claud. 21: flamma ferroque, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 35, § 78; Flor. 2, 17, 15; 3, 18, 14; Sen. Const. Sap. 2, 2: ferrum, i. q. arms, for battle, war, force of arms: ferro, non auro, vitam cernamus, utrique, Enn. ap. Cic. Off. 1, 12, 38 (Ann. v. 202 ed. Vahl.); cf.: quem nemo ferro potuit superare nec auro, id. ap. Cic. Rep. 3, 3 (Ann. v. 220 ed. Vahl.): adnuit, sese mecum decernere ferro, id. ap. Prisc. p. 822 P. (Ann. v. 136 ed. Vahl.): decernere ferro, Cic. de Or. 2, 78, 317; Liv. 40, 8 fin.; Verg. A. 7, 525; 11, 218: cernere ferro, id. ib. 12, 709: ferro regna lacessere, with war, id. ib. 12, 186; cf.: atque omnis, Latio quae servit purpura ferro, i. e. made subject by the force of arms, Luc. 7, 228.— Prov.: ferrum meum in igni est, i. q. mea nunc res agitur, Sen. Mort. Claud.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
ferrum ī, n
iron, C., Cs., H.—Poet.: gerere ferrum in pectore, i. e. cruelty, O.: durior ferro, O.: de duro est ultima (aetas) ferro, O.: ferro duravit saecula, H.—An iron, tool of iron, iron implement: ferro proscindere campum, ploughshare, O.: ferro scindimus aequor, V.: ferro mitiget agrum, axe, H.: Petita ferro belua, dart, H.: aduncum, arrow-head, O.: hastae brevi ferro, head, Ta.: Dextra tenet ferrum, stylus, O.: longos ferro resecare capillos, shears, O.: foedare crinīs Vibratos calido ferro, curling-irons, V.: stridor ferri tractaeque catenae, iron chain, V.—A sword: ferro iter aperiundum est, S.: aut ferro aut fame interire, Cs.: uri virgis ferroque necari, H.: ferro inter se comminus decertare: cernere ferro, V.: ferro regna lacessere, with war, V.: huic urbi ferro ignique minitantur, i. e. with fire and sword: ferunt ferrumque ignemque In Danaas classes, O.: igni ferroque.—Fig., the age of iron: ad ferrum venistis ab auro, O.
Origins
Inherited from Old Latin *fersom, borrowed from substrate language, of an unknown source. According to De Vaan, possibly from a Phoenician dialect; see 𐤁𐤓𐤆𐤋 (brzl /barzel/, “iron”), akin to Hebrew בַּרְזֶל (barzél), Aramaic פַּרְזְלָא, ܦܪܙܠܐ (parzəlā, “iron”), Akkadian 𒀭𒁇 (parzillum, “iron”), Ugaritic 𐎁𐎗𐎏𐎍 (brḏl, “iron”), considered of Anatolian origin. The word could have entered Latin through Etruscan. Compare typologically ornus (“rowan tree; lance”).
Gallo-Romance
- Frenchferfrom Old French fer
- Occitanfèrre
- Occitanferri
- Occitanfèr
- Catalanferrofrom Old Catalan ferr
- Franco-Provençalfèr
- Franco-Provençalfèrro
- Franco-Provençalfa
- Franco-Provençalfar
- Franco-Provençalfarou
Ibero-Romance
- Portugueseferrofrom Old Galician-Portuguese ferro
- Spanishhierrofrom Old Spanish fierro
- Spanishfierrofrom Old Spanish fierro
- Falaferrufrom Old Galician-Portuguese ferro
- Galicianferrofrom Old Galician-Portuguese ferro
- Asturianfierrofrom Old Leonese fierro
- Asturianfierrufrom Old Leonese fierro
- Extremaduranhierrufrom Old Leonese fierro
- Leonesefierrufrom Old Leonese fierro
- Mirandesefierrofrom Old Leonese fierro
Insular Romance
- Sardinianferru
- Sardinianerru
Balkano-Romance
- Romanianfier
- Romanianfer
- Aromanianher
- Aromanianheru
- Aromanianhjeru
- Istro-Romanianfljer
- Megleno-Romanianier
- Megleno-Romanianieru
Italo-Dalmatian
- Italianferro
- Corsicanferru
- Corsicanfarru
- Dalmatianfiar
- Istriotfièro
- Sabirferrofrom Italian ferro
- Judeo-Italianפֵֿירוֹ
- Tarantinofierrofrom Neapolitan fierro
- Sicilianferru
- Venetanfero
Borrowings
- Englishferrum
- Malayferum
- TranslingualFe
Rhaeto-Romance
- Friulianfiêr
- Ladinfer
- Romanshfier
Gallo-Italic
- Emilianfèr
- Ligurianfæro
- Lombardfèr
- Piedmontesefer
- Romagnolfër