adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective
veterīnus
veterīnus (feminine veterīna, neuter veterīnum)
Classical[wɛ.tɛˈriː.nʊs]Ecclesiastical[ve.teˈriː.nus]
Meaning
- adjectiverelated to carrying or drawing burdens
- adjectiverelated to beasts of burden
Declension
| form | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | veterīnus | veterīna | veterīnum |
| genitive | veterīnī | veterīnae | veterīnī |
| dative | veterīnō | veterīnae | veterīnō |
| accusative | veterīnum | veterīnam | veterīnum |
| ablative | veterīnō | veterīnā | veterīnō |
| vocative | veterīne | veterīna | veterīnum |
| form | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | veterīnī | veterīnae | veterīna |
| genitive | veterīnōrum | veterīnārum | veterīnōrum |
| dative | veterīnīs | veterīnīs | veterīnīs |
| accusative | veterīnōs | veterīnās | veterīna |
| ablative | veterīnīs | veterīnīs | veterīnīs |
| vocative | veterīnī | veterīnae | veterīna |
vĕtĕrīnus, a, um, adj. contr. from vehiterinus, from veho; cf. Fest. p. 369 Müll.,
I. of or belonging to carrying or drawing burdens.
I. Adj.: bestia, a beast of burden or draught, Cato ap. Fest. p. 369;
called also pecus, Arn. 3, 139: genus, Plin. 11, 46, 106, § 255; hence also: semen equorum, Lucr. 5, 890 (887); so, semen, id. 5, 865 (862).—B. Substt.: vĕtĕrīnae, ārum, f., and vĕ-tĕrīna, ōrum, n., draught-cattle, beasts of burden, Varr. R. R. 1, 38, 3; Plin. 11, 37, 64, § 168; 11, 50, 111, § 265.—
II. Of or belonging to beasts of burden: ars, the art of healing domestic animals, Veg. Vet. praef. 1.
Origins
Probably from vetus (“old”) + -īnus, formed at a time when vetus was still a substantive meaning year (compare Ancient Greek ἔτος (étos, “year”)). De Vaan invokes Adams's observation that veterīnus refers to horses in particular and were thus seen as "the old stock", due to horses living longer than other domesticated cattle-type animals. Morphologically less likely, but semantically better is a connexion to vehō (“to transport”).
Descendants
- Englishveterine
In English words that came into English from veterīnus
- veterinaryveterīnārius