LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinethird declension

gubernātor

gubernātor m (genitive gubernātōris, feminine gubernātrīx)
Classical[ɡʊ.bɛrˈnaː.tɔr]Ecclesiastical[ɡu.berˈnaː.tor]
Mille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. Helmsman or pilot of a boat.
    In tranquillo esse quisque gubernator potest.In a calm sea anyone can be the helmsman.Unknown origin, often attributed to Publilius Syrus (1st Century BCE)
  2. Leader or governor.

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

quī nāvem regit; gubernāculum manū tenet.
gubernātor -ōris m — in Mille Verba, Mare et Nāvēs
rēctor nāvis
gubernātor -ōris (m) — in Epistulae, ch. 15
quī nāvem clāvō regit
gubernātor -ōris (m) — in Aeneis, ch. 13

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativegubernātorgubernātōrēs
gubernātrīcēs
genitivegubernātōris
gubernātrīcis		gubernātōrum
gubernātrīcum
dativegubernātōrī
gubernātrīcī		gubernātōribus
gubernātrīcibus
accusativegubernātōrem
gubernātrīcem		gubernātōrēs
gubernātrīcēs
ablativegubernātōre
gubernātrīce		gubernātōribus
gubernātrīcibus
vocativegubernātorgubernātōrēs
gubernātrīcēs

gŭbernātor, ōris, m. id.,
I. a steersman, pilot (cf.: magister, navarchus, nauclerus, navicularius).
I. Lit.: si tu proreta isti navi's, ego gubernator ero, Plaut. Rud. 4, 3, 75; id. Am. 3, 2, 69: gubernator clavum tenens sedet in puppi quietus, Cic. de Sen. 6, 17; id. Phil. 7, 9, 27; id. Ac. 2, 31, 100; id. de Inv. 1, 34, 58; id. Rep. 1, 40; 5, 3; Quint. 2, 17, 24; 34; 4, 1, 61; Verg. A. 3, 269; 5, 12; 6, 337 et saep.—Prov.: tranquillo quilibet gubernator est, Sen. Ep. 85 med.—
II. Transf., a director, ruler, governor: cum in rebus animalibus aliud pro alio ponitur; ut de agitatore (Ennius): Gubernator magna contorsit equum vi, Quint. 8, 6, 9; the same, Enn. ap. Charis. p. 244 P. and ap. Diom. p. 451 ib. (Ann. v. 160 Vahl.): poli, i. e. God, Sen. Hippol. 903: custodes gubernatoresque rei publicae, Cic. Rab. Perd. 9, 26; cf.: quasi tutor et procurator rei publicae: sic enim appelletur, quicumque erit rector et gubernator civitatis, id. Rep. 2, 29.

Origins

Ancient Greek κυβερνάω (kubernáō)bor. Latin gubernō Proto-Indo-European *-tōr Proto-Italic *-tōr Latin -tor Latin gubernātor From gubernō (“to pilot, govern”) + -tor.

Elsewhere
  • Frenchgouverneurfrom Old French gouvreneur
  • GermanGouverneurfrom Old French gouvreneur
  • Englishgovernorfrom Old French gouvreneur
  • Occitangovernadorfrom Old Occitan governador
  • Catalangovernadorfrom Old Occitan governador
  • Sardiniancuberradore
  • Englishgubernator
  • Romanianguvernator
  • Franco-Provençalgovèrnor
  • Afrikaansgoewerneurfrom Old French gouvreneur
West Iberian
  • Portuguesegovernadorfrom Old Galician-Portuguese governador
  • Spanishgobernadorfrom Old Spanish gouernador
  • Asturiangobernador
  • Asturiangobernaor
  • Mirandesegobernador
  • Galiciangobernadorfrom Old Galician-Portuguese governador
  • Ladinogobernadorfrom Old Spanish gouernador
Italo-Dalmatian
  • Italiangovernatore
  • Corsicanguvernatore
  • Corsicanguvernadore
  • Istriotguvarnadur
  • Sicilianguvirnaturi
  • Siciliancuvirnaturi
Gallo-Italic
  • Emiliangvernatåur
  • Liguriangovernatô
  • Lombardgovernatur
  • Piedmonteseguvernatur
Rhaeto-Romance
  • Friulianguviernadôr
  • Ladingoernador
  • Romanshguvernatur

In English words that came into English from gubernātor

  • governorgubernātor
  • gubernatorialgubernātor
  • gubernatorgubernātor

Quick answers

What does gubernātor mean in Latin?
gubernātor, a noun, means “Helmsman or pilot of a boat.; Leader or governor.”.
What is the genitive of gubernātor?
The genitive singular is gubernātōris. gubernātor is masculine, third declension.
How do you pronounce gubernātor?
In classical Latin, [ɡʊ.bɛrˈnaː.tɔr]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ɡu.berˈnaː.tor].
Which English words come from gubernātor?
English words that go back to Latin gubernātor include governor, gubernatorial and gubernator.