LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivethird-declension two-termination adjective

silvestris

silvestris (neuter silvestre)
Classical[sɪɫˈwɛs.trɪs]Ecclesiastical[silˈvɛs.tris]

Meaning

  1. two terminationOf or pertaining to a forest or wood
  2. two terminationforested, wooded, overgrown with trees
  3. two terminationrural, wild, living in forests

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

ferus, incultus
silvestris -e — in Aeneis, ch. 19

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativesilvestrissilvestrissilvestre
sylvestre
genitivesilvestrissilvestrissilvestris
dativesilvestrī
sylvestrī		silvestrī
sylvestrī		silvestrī
sylvestrī
accusativesilvestrem
sylvestrem		silvestrem
sylvestrem		silvestre
sylvestre
ablativesilvestrī
sylvestrī		silvestrī
sylvestrī		silvestrī
sylvestrī
vocativesilvestrissilvestrissilvestre
sylvestre
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativesilvestrēs
sylvestrēs		silvestrēs
sylvestrēs		silvestria
sylvestria
genitivesilvestrium
sylvestrium		silvestrium
silvestrārum, sylvestrium		silvestrium
sylvestrium
dativesilvestribus
sylvestribus		silvestribus
sylvestribus		silvestribus
sylvestribus
accusativesilvestrīs
silvestrēs, sylvestrēs		silvestrīs
silvestrēs, sylvestrēs		silvestria
sylvestria
ablativesilvestribus
sylvestribus		silvestribus
sylvestribus		silvestribus
sylvestribus
vocativesilvestrēs
sylvestrēs		silvestrēs
sylvestrēs		silvestria
sylvestria

silvestris (silvester, Plin. 14, 16, 19, § 110; Col. 1, praef. 25; Sen. Hippol. 460; also written sylv-), e (collat. form, dat. SILVANO SILVESTRO, Inscr. Orell. 4990;
I. gen. plur. sync. silvestrum, Att. Trag. Rel. v. 256 Rib.), adj. silva.
I. Of or belonging to a wood or forest, overgrown with woods, wooded, woody (class.; syn. saltuosus): collis silvestris, Caes. B. G. 2, 18: mons, Varr. R. R. 1, 12, 1; Cic. N. D. 2, 53, 132: locus, id. Lael. 19, 68; Caes. B. G. 5, 19; 6, 34; 7, 35; Liv. 27, 26, 7: saltus, Curt. 4, 3, 21: antra, Ov. M. 13, 47: ager, Col. 11, 2, 52; Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 186: via (with inculta), Cic. Brut. 74, 259: silvestris et montuosus situs (opp. campestris), Col. 7, 2, 3: silvestria saecla ferarum, Lucr. 5, 965; cf. id. 5, 1410: belua, i. e. a she-wolf, Cic. Rep. 2, 2, 4; hence also: uber, i. e. of a she-wolf, Prop. 3, 9 (4, 8), 51: homines, living in woods, foresters, Hor. A. P. 391: numen, sphinx, Plin. 36, 12, 17, § 77 (Jahn reads de quā siluere): bellum, Lucr. 5, 1244: silvestri nata sub umbrā fraga, Ov. M. 13, 815: silvestria virgulta, i. e. foresttrees (opp. prolem olivae), Verg. G. 2, 2.— Subst.: silvestrĭa, ĭum, woodlands, forest: an culta ex silvestribus facere potui, Liv. 38, 49, 7; Plin. 25, 7, 33, § 70.—
II. Transf.
A. Of plants and animals, growing wild, wild: tauri, Plin. 8, 21, 30, § 74: arietes (with feri), Col. 7, 2, 4: gallinae, id. 7, 8, 12: arbor, Verg. E. 3, 70: arbores silvestres ac ferae, Col. 3, 1, 2: pruni, id. 2, 2, 20: faba, Plin. 18, 12, 30, § 121: mel, id. 11, 16, 15, § 41; Vulg. Matt. 3, 4: cicer, Plin. 22, 25, 72, § 148: oliva, Ov. M. 2, 681: corna, Hor. S. 2, 2, 57 et saep.—Comp.: silvestriora omnia tardiora, Plin. 16, 27, 50, § 116; 22, 25, 71, § 146.—
B. In gen., for agrestis, sylvan, rural, pastoral (poet.): Musa, Lucr. 4, 589; Verg. E. 1, 2 (for which, agrestis, id. ib. 6, 8): truculentus et silvester, Sen. Hippol. 461.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*sel-der.?
  2. Latinsilvestris

Latin terrestris Latin -estris Latin silvestris From silva (“woods, forest”) + -estris.

Borrowings
  • Catalansilvestre
  • Italiansilvestre
  • Portuguesesilvestre
  • Spanishsilvestre
  • Galiciansilvestre
Italy
  • Italiansalvastrella
  • Sardiniansilivestru
  • Piedmontesesvestru
France
  • Occitansauvestre
  • Middle Frenchsevestfrom Old French sevestre
  • Normanchevrestrefrom Old French sevestre

In English words that came into English from silvestris

  • sylphsylphes

Quick answers

What does silvestris mean in Latin?
silvestris, a adjective, means “Of or pertaining to a forest or wood; forested, wooded, overgrown with trees; rural, wild, living in forests”.
How do you pronounce silvestris?
In classical Latin, [sɪɫˈwɛs.trɪs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [silˈvɛs.tris].
Where does silvestris come from?
Proto-Indo-European *sel-der.? → Latin silvestris.