angustus

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *h₂enǵʰ- (“narrow, tight”) via a neuter s-stem noun *h₂enǵʰ-os (“narrowness”)[1][2] combined with the adjective-forming suffix *-tós (equivalent to -tus). Comparative data does not establish when the adjective was derived, but its form would hypothetically correspond to *h₂enǵʰostos in Proto-Indo-European and to *angostos in Proto-Italic or Pre-Latin: this became angustus by the Latin sound change of vowel reduction, which replaced *o with /u/ in non-initial closed syllables. The neuter s-stem noun (Proto-Indo-European *h₂enǵʰ-os, Proto-Italic *angos) would have evolved regularly in Classical Latin to *angus, *angeris if it had survived. Another word potentially derived from this noun is the name of the goddess Angerōna.[3]

The root is also found in Latin angō and angor, and in German eng, Sanskrit अंहु (áṃhu), Old Church Slavonic ѫзъкъ (ǫzŭkŭ).

For the ending, compare onustus, venustus.

Pronunciation

Adjective

angustus (feminine angusta, neuter angustum, comparative angustior, superlative angustissimus); first/second-declension adjective

  1. narrow, strait (especially of local relations)
  2. close, contracted, constricted, small, not spacious
  3. (figuratively) short, brief
    • 8 CE – 12 CE, Ovid, Sorrows 5:
      Efficit angustos nec mihi bruma dies.
      Winter does not make the days short (for me).

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

singular plural
masculine feminine neuter masculine feminine neuter
nominative angustus angusta angustum angustī angustae angusta
genitive angustī angustae angustī angustōrum angustārum angustōrum
dative angustō angustae angustō angustīs
accusative angustum angustam angustum angustōs angustās angusta
ablative angustō angustā angustō angustīs
vocative anguste angusta angustum angustī angustae angusta

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

Descendants

  • Balkano-Romance:
    • Aromanian: ngustu
    • Romanian: îngust
    • → Albanian: ngushtë
  • Italo-Romance:
  • Gallo-Romance:
    • Gascon: engous
    • Occitan: angost
  • Ibero-Romance:
  • Borrowings:

References

  1. ^ De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “angō”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 42
  2. ^ Sihler, Andrew L. (1995) New Comparative Grammar of Greek and Latin, Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 62
  3. ^ Wagenvoort, H. (1980) “Diva Angerona”, in Pietas: Selected Studies in Roman Religion, Leiden: E.J. Brill, page 23

Further reading

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