vates

English

Etymology

From Latin vātēs, from Proto-Indo-European *wāt-; cognate with Proto-Celtic *wātis (“seer”) (Gaulish ουατεις, Old Irish fáith, Welsh gwawd) and Proto-Germanic *wōd- (“mad”) (Old English wōd (“mad, frenzied”), Gothic 𐍅𐍉𐌸𐍃 (woþs, “possessed, mad”), Old High German wuot (“mad, madness”).

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈveɪtiz/

Noun

vates

1. A poet or bard who is divinely inspired.
   • 1999, Dennis Richard Danielson, The Cambridge Companion to Milton, Cambridge University Press, page 57 [1]:

     The volume is haunted by the death of the vates (poet-prophet) Orpheus, who failed to revive Eurydice from death and was then torn apart by maenads.

Derived terms

• sacer vates

Translations

divinely inspired poet

• Finnish: vaatti (fi)
• Hungarian: vátesz (hu)

Anagrams

• stave
• Vesta

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Latin

Alternative forms

• vātis

Noun

vātes (genitive vātis); f, third declension

1. seer, soothsayer, prophet
2. poet, poetess
3. oracle

Inflection

Number	Singular	Plural
nominative	vātes	vātēs
genitive	vātis	vātium
dative	vātī	vātibus
accusative	vātim vātem	vātīs vātēs
ablative	vātī vāte	vātibus
vocative	vātes	vātēs

Descendants

• English: vates
• Portuguese: vate

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Volapük

Noun

vates

1. dative plural form of vat