magnus

From Proto-Italic *magnos, from Proto-Indo-European *m̥ǵh₂nós, from *méǵh₂s (“great”).

Cognates include Ancient Greek μέγᾰς (mégas, “big, large”), Sanskrit मह (mahá, “great, mighty, strong, abundant”), Middle Persian ms (meh, “great”) (< *mas) (Persian مه (meh)), Avestan 𐬨𐬀𐬰- (maz-, “large”), Tocharian B māka (“large”), Hittite [script needed] (mēkkis, “much, many, numerous”), Old Armenian մեծ (mec), Old Irish maige (“great, large”), Albanian madh (“large”) and Old English micel (English much).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈmaɡ.nus/, [ˈmäŋnʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈmaɲ.ɲus/, [ˈmäɲːus]

Adjective

magnus (feminine magna, neuter magnum, comparative maior, superlative maximus or maxumus); first/second-declension adjective

1. (literally):
   1. great, large, big; (of things) vast, extensive, spacious. (of physical size or quantity)

      Magna Britannia ― Great Britain

      mare magnum ― great sea

   2. Especially:
      1. great, much, abundant, considerable. (of measure, weight, quantity) [ quotations ▼]
      2. (rare) (of time) Synonym of longus, multus.
      3. Loud, powerful, strong, mighty. (of voice)
2. (figurative):
   1. (in general) great, grand, mighty, noble, lofty, important, of great weight or importance, momentous. [ quotations ▼]

      Carolus Magnus ― Charlemagne / Charles the Great

   2. (in particular):
      1. Advanced in years, of great age, aged. (of age, with nātu)
      2. (in specifications of value, in the neutral absolute) High, dear, of great value, at a high price.

Usage notes

• Different dictionaries and grammars give different vowel lengths. Some have magnus, major/maior, maximus (e.g. Lewis & Short, Gaffiot, OLD), others have māgnus, major/maior, maximus (e.g. Allen & Greenough). māj- in those that don't distinguish syllable weight from vowel length is due to the first syllable being regularly made long by position, since an intervocalic /j/ is normally double).

• In Late Latin, magnus increasingly took on abstract senses, while the concrete sense of 'large' was assigned to grandis.

Inflection

First/second-declension adjective, with locative.

Number	Singular				Plural
Case / Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	magnus	magna	magnum		magnī	magnae	magna
Genitive	magnī	magnae	magnī		magnōrum	magnārum	magnōrum
Dative	magnō		magnō		magnīs
Accusative	magnum	magnam	magnum		magnōs	magnās	magna
Ablative	magnō	magnā	magnō		magnīs
Vocative	magne	magna	magnum		magnī	magnae	magna
Locative	magnī	magnae	magnī		magnīs

In old Latin the genitive magnai for magnae is attested (in Plautus' Miles gloriosus).

The adjective has irregular comparative and superlative degrees.