acerbus

Latin

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Italic *akriðos; equivalent to ācer (“sharp”) + -idus.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [aˈkɛr.bʊs]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [aˈt͡ʃɛr.bus]

Adjective

acerbus (feminine acerba, neuter acerbum, comparative acerbior, superlative acerbissimus, adverb acerbē); first/second-declension adjective

1. (of taste) harsh, bitter, unripe, sour, premature, not yet marriageable

   Synonyms: asper, ācer, frāctus

2. sharp, severe, bitter (i.e., extremely painful)

   frīgus acerbum ― the bitter cold

3. (of a person) rough, violent, severe, grievous, bitter

   Synonyms: trux, ferōx, atrōx, violēns, immānis, efferus, ferus, crūdēlis, barbaricus, silvāticus, ācer, sevērus

   Antonyms: mītis, tranquillus, misericors, placidus, quietus, clemens

4. oppressive, distressing, sad
   • c. 30 BCE, Cicero, Dē Lēgibus 2.24.61:

     acerbum incendium

     a sad conflagration

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

	singular				plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	acerbus	acerba	acerbum		acerbī	acerbae	acerba
genitive	acerbī	acerbae	acerbī		acerbōrum	acerbārum	acerbōrum
dative	acerbō	acerbae	acerbō		acerbīs
accusative	acerbum	acerbam	acerbum		acerbōs	acerbās	acerba
ablative	acerbō	acerbā	acerbō		acerbīs
vocative	acerbe	acerba	acerbum		acerbī	acerbae	acerba

Derived terms

• acerbē
• acerbitās
• acerbitūdō
• acerbō
• peracerbus
• semiacerbus

Descendants

• → Catalan: acerb
• Dalmatian: garb
• → English: acerb, acerbic
• → Esperanto: acerba
• → French: acerbe
• Friulian: garp
• → Galician: acerbo
• → Italian: acerbo
• → Portuguese: acerbo
• → Romanian: acerb
• Sardinian: acherbu, acerbu, chervu
• → Spanish: acerbo

References

• “acerbus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “acerbus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “acerbus”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner; Henry William Auden (1894), Latin Phrase-Book‎, London: Macmillan and Co.
  • to cause any one very acute pain: acerbum dolorem alicui inurere
    
  • (ambiguous) he has had many painful experiences: multa acerba expertus est
    
  • (ambiguous) to demand payment: pecuniam exigere (acerbe)
    
  • (ambiguous) to exact the taxes (with severity): vectigalia exigere (acerbe)