Alanus
Latin
Pronunciation
- (Classical) IPA(key): /aˈlaː.nus/, [äˈɫ̪äːnʊs̠]
- (Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /aˈla.nus/, [äˈläːnus]
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Ancient Greek Ἀλᾱνός (Alānós), Ἀλᾱνοί (Alānoí). Perhaps renewed in Late Latin, especially in Spain in the meaning "dog breed", as a Migration Period Wanderwort, e.g. via Gothic *𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌽𐍃 (*alans).[1]
Alternative forms
- Halānus, Alaunus
Adjective
Alānus (feminine Alāna, neuter Alānum); first/second-declension adjective
- of or pertaining to the Alan tribe
Declension
First/second-declension adjective.
| Number | Singular | Plural | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Case / Gender | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
| Nominative | Alānus | Alāna | Alānum | Alānī | Alānae | Alāna | |
| Genitive | Alānī | Alānae | Alānī | Alānōrum | Alānārum | Alānōrum | |
| Dative | Alānō | Alānō | Alānīs | ||||
| Accusative | Alānum | Alānam | Alānum | Alānōs | Alānās | Alāna | |
| Ablative | Alānō | Alānā | Alānō | Alānīs | |||
| Vocative | Alāne | Alāna | Alānum | Alānī | Alānae | Alāna | |
Noun
Alānus m (genitive Alānī, feminine Alāna); second declension
- Alan (a member of the Alan tribe)
- (Medieval Latin) alaunt (an extinct hunting dog breed related to the modern bulldog and mastiff)
Declension
First/second-declension adjective.
| Number | Singular | Plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Case / Gender | Masculine | Feminine | Masculine | Feminine | |
| Nominative | Alānus | Alāna | Alānī | Alānae | |
| Genitive | Alānī | Alānae | Alānōrum | Alānārum | |
| Dative | Alānō | Alānīs | Alānīs | ||
| Accusative | Alānum | Alānam | Alānōs | Alānās | |
| Ablative | Alānō | Alānā | Alānīs | Alānīs | |
| Vocative | Alāne | Alāna | Alānī | Alānae | |
Related terms
- Alānia
Descendants
Note: none are likely to be directly inherited.
- →? Old Breton: Ala
- → English: Alan
- → French: Alain
- →? Gothic: *𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌽𐍃 (*alans)
- → Old Spanish: alan (“a dog breed”)
- Spanish: alano
- → Old Occitan: alan
- Catalan: alà
- → Galician: alán
- → Old French: alans, alanz
- French: alain, alan
- → English: alaunt, alan, alant
- → Italian: alano
- → Portuguese: alão
- → Old Spanish: alan (“a dog breed”)
- → Catalan: alà (learned)
- → Galician: alano (learned)
- → English: Alan (learned)
- → French: alain (learned)
- → Italian: alano (learned)
- → Portuguese: alano (learned)
- → Spanish: alano (learned)
Etymology 2
Unclear origin. Perhaps Latinization of a Celtic name such as Old Breton Alan, belonging to several Breton saints and borrowed as English Alan and French Alain. This could be connected with Irish ail (“noble”), or else has been borrowed by Breton from the word under Etymology 1.[2]
Proper noun
Alānus m (genitive Alānī, feminine Alana); second declension
- (Medieval Latin) a male given name, equivalent to English Alan
Declension
Second-declension noun.
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | Alānus | Alānī |
| Genitive | Alānī | Alānōrum |
| Dative | Alānō | Alānīs |
| Accusative | Alānum | Alānōs |
| Ablative | Alānō | Alānīs |
| Vocative | Alāne | Alānī |
References
- Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002), “*alanus”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German), volume 24: Refonte A–Aorte, page 289
- “Alanus”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
- Agustí Alemany (2000) Sources on the Alans: A Critical Compilation, BRILL, →ISBN
- Alano; in: Roberto Faure, Diccionario de nombres propios, 2007, →ISBN
Further reading
- “Alanus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- Alanus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette
- Alanus 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)