rufus

See also: Rufus

Latin

Etymology

The medial -f- indicates a borrowing from a Sabellic language such as Oscan 𐌓𐌖𐌚𐌓𐌉𐌉𐌔 (rufriis), Umbrian 𐌓𐌖𐌚𐌓𐌖 (rufru), or from a sister variety such as Faliscan, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rewdʰ- (“red”). It might have penetrated urban Latin by virtue of the fact that it was used as an attribute for oxen sold in the markets in Rome. rōbus, which ended up being limited to oxen instead, represents the regular outcome of the same etymon.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈruː.fus/, [ˈruːfʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈru.fus/, [ˈruːfus]

Adjective

rūfus (feminine rūfa, neuter rūfum); first/second-declension adjective

1. red, reddish, ruddy
2. redheaded, red-haired

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

Number	Singular				Plural
Case / Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	rūfus	rūfa	rūfum		rūfī	rūfae	rūfa
Genitive	rūfī	rūfae	rūfī		rūfōrum	rūfārum	rūfōrum
Dative	rūfō		rūfō		rūfīs
Accusative	rūfum	rūfam	rūfum		rūfōs	rūfās	rūfa
Ablative	rūfō	rūfā	rūfō		rūfīs
Vocative	rūfe	rūfa	rūfum		rūfī	rūfae	rūfa

Derived terms

• rūfēscō
• Rūfius
• rūfulus
• Rūfus

 

Related terms

• rōbus
• ruber

Descendants

• English: rufous
• Italian: rufo
• Spanish: rufo

See also

Colors in Latin · colōrēs (layout · text)

albus, candidus, subalbus, niveus, cēreus, marmoreus, eburneus, cānus, blancus (ML.)	glaucus, rāvus, pullus, cinereus, cinerāceus, plumbeus, grīseus (ML. or NL.)	niger, āter, piceus, furvus
ruber, rūbidus, rūfus, rubicundus, russus, rubrīcus, pūniceus, murrinus, mulleus; cocceus, coccīnus, badius	rutilus, armeniacus, aurantius, aurantiacus; fuscus, suffuscus, colōrius, cervīnus, spādīx, castaneus, aquilus, fulvus, brunneus (ML.)	flāvus, sufflāvus, flāvidus, fulvus, lūteus, gilvus, helvus, croceus, pallidus, blondinus (ML.)
galbus, galbinus, lūridus	viridis	prasinus
cȳaneus	caeruleus, azurīnus (ML.), caesius, blāvus (LL.)	glaucus; līvidus; venetus
violāceus, ianthinus, balaustīnus (NL.)	ostrīnus, amethystīnus	purpureus, ātropurpureus, roseus, rosāceus

References

• “rufus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “rufus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• rufus 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)
• rufus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.