faber

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA: /ˈfa.ber/

Etymology 1

From Proto-Indo-European *dʰabʰros, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰabʰ- (“to fashion, fit”). Cognate with Armenian դարբին (darbin, “smith”), English daft, deft, Lithuanian dabà (“habit, character”), Czech doba (“time”), dobrý (“good”).

Noun

faber (genitive fabrī); m, second declension

1. artisan, workman
2. forger, smith

Inflection

Number	Singular	Plural
nominative	faber	fabrī
genitive	fabrī	fabrōrum
dative	fabrō	fabrīs
accusative	fabrum	fabrōs
ablative	fabrō	fabrīs
vocative	faber 1	fabrī

¹ May also be fabre.

Derived terms

• fabrica
• fābrīlis

Descendants

• Aromanian: favru, favur
• Dalmatian: favro
• Friulian: fari
• Italian: fabbro
• Occitan: fabre, faure

• Old French: fèvre
• Portuguese: fabro
• Romanian: faur
• Spanish: fabro
• Venetian: fravo

Etymology 2

From faber (“artisan; smith”).

Adjective

faber m (feminine fabra, neuter fabrum); first/second declension

1. workmanlike, skilful, ingenious

Inflection

Number	Singular				Plural
Case \ Gender	M.	F.	N.		MM.	FF.	NN.
nominative	faber	fabra	fabrum		fabrī	fabrae	fabra
genitive	fabrī	fabrae	fabrī		fabrōrum	fabrārum	fabrōrum
dative	fabrō	fabrae	fabrō		fabrīs	fabrīs	fabrīs
accusative	fabrum	fabram	fabrum		fabrōs	fabrās	fabra
ablative	fabrō	fabrā	fabrō		fabrīs	fabrīs	fabrīs
vocative	faber	fabra	fabrum		fabrī	fabrae	fabra

Derived terms

• fabrē

Etymology 3

Noun

faber (genitive fabrī); m, second declension

1. the dory, a sunfish

Inflection

Number	Singular	Plural
nominative	faber	fabrī
genitive	fabrī	fabrōrum
dative	fabrō	fabrīs
accusative	fabrum	fabrōs
ablative	fabrō	fabrīs
vocative	faber 1	fabrī

¹ May also be fabre.

References

• faber in Charlton T. Lewis & Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1879
• “fabbro” in: Alberto Nocentini, Alessandro Parenti, “l'Etimologico — Vocabolario della lingua italiana”, Le Monnier, 2010, ISBN 978-88-00-20781-2