LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinesecond declension

mediastīnus

mediastīnus m (genitive mediastīnī)
Classical[mɛ.di.asˈtiː.nʊs]Ecclesiastical[me.di.asˈtiː.nus]

Meaning

  1. common servant employed on general duties, drudge, menial worker

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativemediastīnusmediastīnī
mediastrīnī
genitivemediastīnī
mediastrīnī		mediastīnōrum
mediastrīnōrum
dativemediastīnō
mediastrīnō		mediastīnīs
mediastrīnīs
accusativemediastīnum
mediastrīnum		mediastīnōs
mediastrīnōs
ablativemediastīnō
mediastrīnō		mediastīnīs
mediastrīnīs
vocativemediastīne
mediastrīne		mediastīnī
mediastrīnī

mĕdĭastīnus, i, m. id.,
I. a common servant, drudge, employed in all kinds of menial occupations (class.): tu illi mediastinus, Cato ap. Non. 143, 9: atque bubulcus, Lucil. ib. 7: exercitus collectus ex senibus desperatis, ex agresti luxuria, ex rusticis mediastinis, decoctoribus, Cic. Cat. 2, 3, 5 (dub.): tu mediastinus tacitā prece rura petebas, Hor. Ep. 1, 14, 14; Col. 2, 13, 7; 1, 9, 3: Prodicus instituens quam vocant iatralepticen, reunctoribus quoque medicorum, ac mediastinis vectigal invenit, i. e. medical assistants, Plin. 29, 1, 2, § 4; Dig. 4, 9, 1, § 5.

Origins

Perhaps a substantive form of an adjective *mediast(r)īnus (“menial”), from medius + -aster + -inus (assuming the form with -r- is the older form).

Descendants
  • Italianmediastino
  • Catalanmediastí
  • Englishmediastinum
  • Frenchmédiastin
  • Englishmediastinfrom French médiastin
  • Romanianmediastinfrom French médiastin
  • GermanMediastinum
  • Portuguesemediastino
  • Spanishmediastino
  • Middle Frenchmediastin

Quick answers

What does mediastīnus mean in Latin?
mediastīnus, a noun, means “common servant employed on general duties, drudge, menial worker”.
What is the genitive of mediastīnus?
The genitive singular is mediastīnī. mediastīnus is masculine, second declension.
How do you pronounce mediastīnus?
In classical Latin, [mɛ.di.asˈtiː.nʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [me.di.asˈtiː.nus].