legitimus

Latin

Alternative forms

• legitumus (archaic)

Etymology

From the theme of lēx (“law”) + -timus. The suffix derives from Proto-Italic *-isemos, from Proto-Indo-European *-is- (zero-grade of *-yōs (“intensive/comparative suffix”)) + *-(t)m̥mo- (“absolutive suffix”). Compare Latin intimus, extimus, citimus, ultimus, pessimus, optimus.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /leːˈɡi.ti.mus/, [ɫ̪eːˈɡɪt̪ɪmʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /leˈd͡ʒi.ti.mus/, [leˈd͡ʒiːt̪imus]

Adjective

lēgitimus (feminine lēgitima, neuter lēgitimum, adverb lēgitimē); first/second-declension adjective

1. lawful, legal, legitimate

   Synonym: iūstus

2. legal (of or pertaining to the law)
3. legitimate (born of married parents)
4. just, proper, appropriate

   Synonyms: ūtilis, commodus, aptus, idōneus, conveniēns, habilis, iūstus, opportūnus

   Antonyms: incommodus, inūtilis, ineptus

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

Number	Singular				Plural
Case / Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	lēgitimus	lēgitima	lēgitimum		lēgitimī	lēgitimae	lēgitima
Genitive	lēgitimī	lēgitimae	lēgitimī		lēgitimōrum	lēgitimārum	lēgitimōrum
Dative	lēgitimō		lēgitimō		lēgitimīs
Accusative	lēgitimum	lēgitimam	lēgitimum		lēgitimōs	lēgitimās	lēgitima
Ablative	lēgitimō	lēgitimā	lēgitimō		lēgitimīs
Vocative	lēgitime	lēgitima	lēgitimum		lēgitimī	lēgitimae	lēgitima

Derived terms

• legitimo (Medieval Latin)
• illegitimus

Related terms

• lēgifer
• lēgitimē
• lēx

Descendants

• → Catalan: legítim
• → French: légitime
• → Galician: lexítimo
• → Italian: legittimo
• Piedmontese: legìtim
• Portuguese: lídimo, probably lindo
• → Portuguese: legítimo
• → Romanian: legitim
• Spanish: lindo (probably)
  • → Italian: lindo
• → Sicilian: liggìttimu
• → Spanish: legítimo
• → Gaulish: legitumon
• → English: legitimate, legit

References

• “legitimus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “legitimus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• legitimus 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)
• legitimus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • to be elected at the age required by law (lex Villia annalis): suo (legitimo) anno creari (opp. ante annum)