fīlius

From Proto-Italic *fīlios, *feilios (the Latin can reflect either one, but Faliscan fīleo, hīleo, if original and not modeled on Latin fīlius, would point to *fīl-), from earlier *θeilios, from *dʰeh₁i-l-yo-s (“sucker”), a derivation from the verbal root *dʰeh₁(y)- (“to suck”).

Related to fellō, fēmina, fētus, Old English delu (“nipple, teat”), dēon (“to suck, suckle”), Old Armenian դալ (dal). More at doe.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈfiː.li.us/, [ˈfiːlʲiʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈfi.li.us/, [ˈfiːlius]

Noun

fīlius m (genitive fīliī or fīlī, feminine fīlia); second declension

1. a son [ synonyms ▲][ quotations ▼]

   Synonyms: līber, nātus

   Ubi est noster filius?

1. Where is our son?

1. (by extension) any male descendant
2. (in the plural) children

Declension

Second-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	fīlius	fīliī
Genitive	fīliī fīlī1	fīliōrum
Dative	fīliō	fīliīs
Accusative	fīlium	fīliōs
Ablative	fīliō	fīliīs
Vocative	fīlī	fīliī

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

Synonyms

• nātus