Heavy Construction



Other adjectives meaning in a general way belonging to (especially of places and times) are formed with the suffixes -

-ter (-tris), -ester (-estris), -timus, -nus, -ernus, -urnus, -ternus (-turnus) palús-ter, of the marshes;
pedes-ter, of the foot-soldiers; pedes, a footman.
sémés-tris, lasting six months; sex ménsés, six months.
silv-ester, silv-estris, woody; silva, a wood.
fini-timus, neighboring, on the borders; fínis, an end.
mari-timus, of the sea; mare, sea.
vér-nus, vernal; vér, spring.
hodi-ernus, of to-day; hodié, to-day.
di-urnus, daily; diés, day.
hes-ternus, of yesterday; herí (old hesí), yesterday.
diú-turnus, lasting; diú, long (in time).

NOTE: Of these, -ester is formed by adding tri- (cf. tro-, § 234. II. 16) to stems in t- or d-. Thus pedet-tri- becomes pedestri-, and others follow the analogy. -nus is an inherited suffix (§ 234. II. 4). -ernus and -urnus are formed by adding -nus to s-stems: as, diur-nus (for dius-nus), and hence, by analogy, hodiernus (hodié). By an extension of the same principle were formed the suffixes -ternus and -turnus from words like paternus and nocturnus.


a. Adjectives meaning belonging to are formed from nouns by means of the suffixes -


-árius, -tórius (-sórius) órdin-árius, regular;
argent-árius, of silver or money; argentum, silver.
extr-árius, stranger; extrá, outside.
meri-tórius, profitable; meritus, earned.
dévor-sórius, of an inn (cf. § 254. 5); dévorsus, turned aside.

NOTE 1: Here -ius (§ 234. II. 11) is added to shorter forms in -áris and -or: as, pecúliárius (from pecúliáris), bellátórius (from bell=ator).

NOTE 2: These adjectives are often fixed as nouns (see § 254).