LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · neutersecond declension

ministerium

ministerium n (genitive ministeriī or ministerī)
Classical[mɪ.nɪsˈtɛ.ri.ũː]Ecclesiastical[mi.nisˈtɛː.ri.um]

Meaning

  1. neuterministry (office of a minister)
  2. neuteremployment, ministration
  3. neuterservice, duty (attendance of or action by an inferior person such as a slave)
    Nōn ministeriīs illōs aestimābō sed mōribus: sibi quisque dat mōrēs, ministeria cāsus assignat.I will not judge them by their duties but by their character: each person gives himself character, [while] chance assigns [one’s] duties.c. 4 BCE – 65 CE, Seneca Minor, Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium 47.15
  4. broadlyneutera suite of attendants
  5. neuterobsoletetable-service

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeministeriumministeria
genitiveministeriī
ministerī		ministeriōrum
dativeministeriōministeriīs
accusativeministeriumministeria
ablativeministeriōministeriīs
vocativeministeriumministeria

mĭnistĕrĭum, ii, n. minister,
I. the office or functions of a minister, attendance, service, ministry, in a good or bad sense; an office, occupation, work, labor, employment, administration, etc. (not in Cic. or Cæs.; cf.: munus, officium).
I. Lit.: sunt qui ita distinguant: quaedam beneficia esse, quaedam officia, quaedam ministeria: beneficium esse, quod alienus det: officium esse filii, uxoris, etc.: ministerium esse servi, quem conditio sua eo loco posuit, ut nihil eorum, quae praestat, imputet superiori, Sen. Ben. 3, 18, 1: servorum, Just. 2, 13, 10. ubi ego omnibus parvis magnisque ministeriis praefulcior, Plaut. Ps. 3, 1, 6: facere uxoribus, to wait or attend upon, id. 32, 3, 16: praestare alicui, Dig. 13, 5, 15: exhibere, ib. 50, 1, 17: assuetos ministeriis talium facinorum, Liv. 42, 15: magis necessarium quam speciosi ministerii procurationem intueri, id. 4, 8, 6: praebere, Dig. 47, 2. 51: ministerium consilii sui afferre, Just. 31, 5, 8: fabrilia, Plin. 16, 43, 84, § 230: dura, Ov. M. 11, 625: diurna, id. ib. 4, 216: navis, Petr. 108: triste, Verg. A. 6, 223; cf. foeda, id. ib. 7, 619; Sedul. 4, 130: Quirinus acribus ministeriis consulatum adeptus, Tac. A. 3, 48: ministeria belli, military service, id. ib. 2, 78: ministerio Catonis ... facta provincia Cyprus est, agency, Vell. 2, 38, 6: caedis, Curt. 10, 1, 2: ministeris functi esse, Mos. et Rom. Leg. Coll. 13, 3, 2.—Esp., the Christian ministry, the office of a preacher of Christ or of religion: verbi, Vulg. Act. 6, 4: reconciliationis, id. 2 Cor. 6, 18: melius, id. Heb. 8, 6.—
II. Transf., concr.
A. A suite of attendants: quindecim convivarum, ac ministerii capax triclinium, Plin. 12, 1, 5, § 10: ministeria magistratibus conscribere, i. e. lictores, viatores, etc., Tac. A. 13, 27: aulicum, court-servants, Lampr. Alex. Sev. 41: atratum coquinae ministerium, the kitchen-servants, Amm. 14, 6, 17: varia arenae ministeria, managers of the games, Suet. Ner. 12.—
B. A service of dishes, table-service (post-class.): ducentarum librarum argenti pondus ministerium, Lampr Alex. Sev. 34; Paul. Sent. 3, 6, 86.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*mey-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*minéwti
  3. Proto-Italic*minuō?
  4. Proto-Italic*minōs
  5. Proto-Italic*minosteros
  6. Latinministerium

Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós Proto-Italic *-ijos Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -iusnom. Latin -ium Latin ministerium From minister + -ium. Compare magisterium.

Descendants
  • Catalanministeri
  • Englishministerium
  • Italianmestiere
  • Italianministero
  • Frenchmétierfrom Old French mestier
  • Englishmétierfrom Old French mestier
  • Frenchministèrefrom Old French menistere
  • Romanianministerfrom Old French menistere
  • Englishministryfrom Old French menistere
  • Portuguesemesterfrom Old Galician-Portuguese mester

In English words that came into English from ministerium

  • ministryministerium
  • minstrelministerialis
  • minstrelsyministralis
  • mistermisterium

Quick answers

What does ministerium mean in Latin?
ministerium, a noun, means “ministry (office of a minister); employment, ministration; service, duty (attendance of or action by an inferior person such as a slave)”.
What is the genitive of ministerium?
The genitive singular is ministeriī. ministerium is neuter, second declension.
How do you pronounce ministerium?
In classical Latin, [mɪ.nɪsˈtɛ.ri.ũː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [mi.nisˈtɛː.ri.um].
Where does ministerium come from?
Proto-Indo-European *mey- → Proto-Indo-European *minéwti → Proto-Italic *minuō? → Proto-Italic *minōs → Proto-Italic *minosteros → Latin ministerium.
Which English words come from ministerium?
English words that go back to Latin ministerium include ministry, minstrel, mister and minstrelsy.