adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective
spurius1
spurius (feminine spuria, neuter spurium)
Classical[ˈspʊ.ri.ʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈspuː.ri.us]
Meaning
- adjectiveof illegitimate birth but unknown father
- adjectivefalse, spurious
Declension
| form | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | spurius | spuria | spurium |
| genitive | spuriī | spuriae | spuriī |
| dative | spuriō | spuriae | spuriō |
| accusative | spurium | spuriam | spurium |
| ablative | spuriō | spuriā | spuriō |
| vocative | spurie | spuria | spurium |
| form | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | spuriī | spuriae | spuria |
| genitive | spuriōrum | spuriārum | spuriōrum |
| dative | spuriīs | spuriīs | spuriīs |
| accusative | spuriōs | spuriās | spuria |
| ablative | spuriīs | spuriīs | spuriīs |
| vocative | spuriī | spuriae | spuria |
spŭrĭus, i, m. root spar-; cf. σπείρω, σπορά, and sperno, adj.
I. Lit., of illegitimate birth; subst., an illegitimate or spurious child, a bastard (only post-class.; esp. among jurists): si quis nefarias atque incestas nuptias contraxerit, neque uxorem habere videtur neque liberos. Hi enim, qui ex eo coitu nascuntur, matrem quidem habere videntur, patrem vero non utique, etc. ... Unde solent spurii filii appeliari, vel a Graecā voce, quasi σποράδην concepti vel quasi sine patre filii, Gai. Inst. 1, 64; cf. Dig. 1, 5, 23; ib. 49, 15, 26; Cod. Just. 1, 10, 12; 6, 55, 6; App. M. 6, p. 177, 6.—Thus the Parthenians (v. Partheniae) were also called Spurii, acc. to Just. 20, 1, 15.—
II. Trop., false, spurious:
versus (in Homeri carminibus), Aus. Ep. 18 fin.: vates, id. ap. Sept. Sap. 13 prooem.Origins
Perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *sper- (“to scatter”) or from *sperH- (whence spernō). Others refer it to Etruscan 𐌔𐤂𐌖𐌓𐌀𐌋 (spural, “public”).
Descendants
- Catalanespuri
- Englishspurious
- Italianspurio
- Portugueseespúrio
- Romanianșpur
- Romanianspuriu
- Spanishespurio