rufus

See also: Rufus

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *rouðos. 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. The word rōbus, which ended up being limited to oxen instead, represents the regular outcome of the same etymon.

Pronunciation

(Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈruː.fʊs]
(modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈruː.fus]

Adjective

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

red (in the most general sense, of all shades, and including orange) synonyms ▲
Synonyms: ruber, russus
(said of a person) red-haired synonym ▲
Synonym: rutilus

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

	masculine	feminine	neuter	masculine	feminine	neuter
	singular			plural
nominative	rūfus	rūfa	rūfum	rūfī	rūfae	rūfa
genitive	rūfī	rūfae	rūfī	rūfōrum	rūfārum	rūfōrum
dative	rūfō	rūfae	rūfō	rūfīs
accusative	rūfum	rūfam	rūfum	rūfōs	rūfās	rūfa
ablative	rūfō	rūfā	rūfō	rūfīs
vocative	rūfe	rūfa	rūfum	rūfī	rūfae	rūfa

Derived terms

Related terms

rōbus
ruber

Descendants

>? Catalan: rúfol
→ English: rufous
Italian: rufo
Spanish: rufo

Colors in Latin · colōrēs (layout · text)
albus, candidus, cānus, marmoreus (poetic), eburneus (poetic), niveus (poetic), argenteus (poetic), lacteus (poetic)	rāvus, mūrīnus (of livestock)	niger, āter, furvus, pullus ("dark"), fuscus ("swarthy"), piceus (poetic)
ruber, russus, rūbidus (dark), flammeus (poetic); rutilus, pūniceus, spādīx (poetic), sanguineus (poetic)	rūfus, rutilus, rōbus (of oxen), croceus (poetic), aureus (poetic); fulvus (poetic), niger (of eyes), badius (of horses)	lūteus, flāvus ("blond"), lūridus, gilvus (of horses), helvus (of cattle), cēreus (poetic)
viridis, flāvus (poetic)	viridis, herbeus (of eyes), fulvus (poetic)	viridis, glaucus (poetic), caeruleus (poetic, only dark)
	glaucus (poetic), caeruleus, caesius (of eyes)	caeruleus, līvidus, ferrūgineus (poetic), glaucus (poetic)
violāceus	purpureus (underlying shade)	roseus

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.