nūntius

nūntius

Latin

Alternative forms

• nontius, nountius, nūncius

Etymology

Uncertain; competing hypotheses include:

• Contracted from noventius, from an obsolete noveō, from novus.
• From Proto-Indo-European *new- (“to nod”), same source as Latin *nuō, Ancient Greek νεύω (neúō, “to beckon, nod”) and Old Irish noid (“make known”), though this is rejected by De Vaan.
• From Etruscan [script needed] (nunth, “to bring”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈnuːn.ti.us/, [ˈnuːn̪t̪iʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈnun.t͡si.us/, [ˈnunt̪͡s̪ius]

Noun

nūntius m (genitive nūntiī or nūntī, feminine nūntia); second declension

1. a messenger, reporter, courier [ synonyms ▲]

   Synonyms: internūntia, praecō

2. an envoy, message, report
3. a command, order, injunction [ synonyms ▲]

   Synonyms: dēcrētum, praeceptum, iussus, ēdictum, ēdictiō, scītum, dēcrētiō, mandātum, imperium

4. (in the plural) news, tidings, information [ synonyms ▲]

   Synonyms: fāma, indicium

Declension

Second-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	nūntius	nūntiī
Genitive	nūntiī nūntī1	nūntiōrum
Dative	nūntiō	nūntiīs
Accusative	nūntium	nūntiōs
Ablative	nūntiō	nūntiīs
Vocative	nūntie	nūntiī

¹Found in older Latin (until the Augustan Age).