erus

Latin

Alternative forms

herus

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *ezos (“master”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁esh₂ós (“master”). Cognate with Hittite 𒅖𒄩𒀀𒀸 (“išhāš "master"”).

A connexion with heres (“heir”) and hirudo (“leech”) has also been proposed by Charlton Lewis and Charles Short, making its stem instead from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰeh₁ro- (“derelict”). Cognates would include Ancient Greek χήρα (khḗra, “widow”), Sanskrit हरति (harati, “to seize”) and हरण (haraṇa, “abduction”).

Pronunciation

(Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈe.rus/, [ˈɛrʊs̠]

(Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈe.rus/, [ˈɛːrus]

Noun

erus m (genitive erī); second declension

master of the house or family
merchandise

Declension

Second-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	erus	erī
Genitive	erī	erōrum
Dative	erō	erīs
Accusative	erum	erōs
Ablative	erō	erīs
Vocative	ere	erī

Synonyms

dominus

Derived terms

erīlis

References

“erus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
“erus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
erus in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
erus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette
Jules Pokorny's Ingogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, p. 342