zephyrus

See also: Zephyrus

Latin

Alternative forms

• zephirus (Medieval Latin)

Etymology

From Ancient Greek Ζέφυρος (Zéphuros, “Zephyrus, the west wind”). Not related to zephirum (“zero”) or sefirah.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈzɛ.pʰy.rʊs]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈd͡zɛː.fi.rus]

Noun

zephyrus m (genitive zephyrī); second declension

1. the gentle west wind, the western breeze, zephyr; personified as the Greek god Zephyrus
   • 8 CE, Ovid, Fasti 6.715–716:

     Sī quā fidēs ventīs, Zephyrō date carbasa, nautae.
     crās veniet vestrīs ille secundus aquīs.

     If there is any trust in the winds, sailors, spread your sails to Zephyrus. Tomorrow he will come, favorable upon your waters.
     (Note the echoing sonority of “ventīs,” “veniet” and “vestrīs.”)

Declension

Second-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	zephyrus	zephyrī
genitive	zephyrī	zephyrōrum
dative	zephyrō	zephyrīs
accusative	zephyrum	zephyrōs
ablative	zephyrō	zephyrīs
vocative	zephyre	zephyrī

Synonyms

• (west wind): favōnius

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “west wind”): apēliōtēs, subsōlānus, sōlānus

Descendants

Descendants

• >? Galician: cebra
• → Catalan: Zèfir
• → English: zephyr, Zephyr
• → Galician: Céfiro
• → German: Zephir
• → Italian: zefiro, Zefiro
• → Middle English: Zephirus, Zeferus, Zepherus, Zephyrus
  • English: Zephyrus
• → Middle French: zephire
  • French: zéphyr, Zéphyr (see there for further descendants)
• → Old French: Zephirus
• → Polish: Zefir
• → Portuguese: zéfiro, Zéfiro
• → Spanish: céfiro, Céfiro

References

• “zephyrus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “zephyrus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “zephyrus”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.