Arthur

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɑːθə(ɹ)/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɑɹθɚ/
• (dialectal, archaic) IPA^(key): /ˈɑːɹtəɹ/
• Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)θə(ɹ)

Etymology 1

From the name of the legendary king, from Middle English Arthure, from Medieval Latin Arthurus, probably from Middle Welsh arth (“bear”).

Other suggestions include Old Welsh arth (“bear”) and ur (“man”), or a Latinized (Romano-British) name; compare Latin Artorius, itself possibly of Etruscan origin, or more likely Messapic-Illyrian related to Proto-Albanian *artsa (“bear”).

Proper noun

Arthur

1. A male given name from the Celtic languages.
   • c. 1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:
     : Act IV, Scene II:

     Young Arthur is alive: this hand of mine / Is yet a maiden and an innocent hand, / Not painted with the crimson spots of blood.

   • 1951, Graham Greene, The End of the Affair, Viking Press, page 96:

     "Is his name Arthur?" "Arthur James." "It’s quite an old-fashioned name." "We’re an old-fashioned family. His mother was fond of Tennyson."

   • 1966, Patrick White, The Solid Mandala, Avon Books, published 1975, →ISBN, page 270:

     "It will not be his only name," Mr. Saporta said, and his glance hoped he had found an acceptable solution. "We shall also call him 'Aaron'. That will be his Jewish name. But for everyday purposes—Arthur."

2. A surname originating as a patronymic.
3. A number of places in the United States:
   1. A village in Illinois.
   2. A city in Iowa.
   3. A village, the county seat of Arthur County, Nebraska.
   4. A ghost town in Nevada.
   5. A city in North Dakota.
   6. A town in Chippewa County, Wisconsin.
   7. An unincorporated community in the town of Lima, Grant County, Wisconsin.
4. A rural municipality in Manitoba, Canada.

Usage notes

• In continuous use as a given name since early Middle Ages. Popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Derived terms

• Arthur County
• Arthur Daley
• Arthurian
• arthurite
• Arthur's Pass
• Port Arthur

 

pet forms

• Art
• Artie
• Arty

 

Related terms

• King Arthur

Translations

male given name

• Arabic: آرْثَر m (ʔārṯar)
• Armenian: Արթուր (Artʻur)
• Belarusian: Арту́р m (Artúr)
• Breton: Arzur
• Catalan: Artur (ca)
• Chechen: Артур (Artur)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 阿瑟 (zh) (Āsè)

• Corsican: Arturu m
• Czech: Artur m
• Danish: Arthur
• Dutch: Arthur (nl)
• Esperanto: Arturo
• Estonian: Artur
• Faroese: Artur m
• Finnish: Artturi (fi)
• French: Arthur (fr) m

  Old French: Artus

• Galician: Artur (gl) m
• German: Arthur (de) m
• Greek: Αρθούρος (el) m (Arthoúros)
• Hebrew: ארתור m (ártur)
• Hungarian: Artúr (hu)
• Irish: Artúr m
• Italian: Arturo (it) m
• Japanese: アーサー (Āsā)
• Korean: 아서 (ko) (Aseo)
• Latvian: Arturs m, Artūrs m
• Manx: Artur m, Art m
• Marathi: आर्थर m (ārthar)
• Norwegian: Arthur (no)
• Old French: Artus
• Persian: آرتور (fa) (ârtur)
• Picard: Artur m
• Polish: Artur (pl) m
• Portuguese: Artur (pt) m
• Russian: Арту́р (ru) (Artúr)
• Scottish Gaelic: Artair m
• Slovak: Artúr m
• Spanish: Arturo (es) m
• Swedish: Artur (sv)
• Tamil: ஆர்த்தர் (ta) (ārttar)
• Ukrainian: Арту́р m (Artúr)

Etymology 2

After Arthur Guinness, a famous brewer.

Noun

Arthur (uncountable)

1. (Ireland, informal) Guinness stout.

Usage notes

• Often said as a "pint of Arthur".

(Arthurian legend)

Anagrams

• turrah

Cebuano

Etymology

From English Arthur.

Proper noun

Arthur

1. a male given name from English [in turn from the Celtic languages]

Danish

Etymology

From English.

Proper noun

Arthur m

1. a male given name from English

Dutch

Etymology

Ultimately from Middle French Arthur.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑrtyr/, [ˈɑrtyːr]

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Ar‧thur

Proper noun

Arthur m

1. a male given name from English

Derived terms

• Arthurroman

French

Etymology

Equivalent to English Arthur, used in France since the Middle Ages.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aʁ.tyʁ/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -yʁ

Proper noun

Arthur m

1. a male given name
   • 1862 Victor Hugo, Les Misérables, Vol.1, Book 4:1, translation 1887 by Isabel F. Hapgood:

     Il n’est pas rare aujourd’hui que le garçon bouvier se nomme Arthur, Alfred ou Alphonse, et que le vicomte — s’il y a encore des vicomtes — se nomme Thomas, Pierre ou Jacques. Ce déplacement qui met le nom « élégant » sur le plébéien et le nom campagnard sur l’aristocrate n’est autre chose qu’un remous d’égalité. L’irrésistible pénétration du souffle nouveau est là comme en tout.

     It is not rare for the neatherd's boy nowadays to bear the name of Arthur, Alfred, or Alphonse, and for the vicomte—if there are still any vicomtes—to be called Thomas, Pierre, or Jacques. This displacement, which places the "elegant" name on the plebeian and the rustic name on the aristocrat, is nothing else than an eddy of equality. The irresistible penetration of the new inspiration is there as everywhere else.

2. (Arthurian legend) King Arthur

Related terms

• Thureau

Descendants

• Arabic: آرثر
• Japanese: アルテュール (Arutyūru)

German

Alternative forms

• Artur

Etymology

Borrowed from English in the 18th century.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈaʁtuːʁ/

• Audio

  (file)

Proper noun

Arthur m

1. a male given name from English

Middle English

Proper noun

Arthur

1. Alternative form of Arthure
   • 1470–1483 (date produced), Thom̃s Malleorre [i.e., Thomas Malory], “[The Tale of King Arthur]”, in Le Morte Darthur (British Library Additional Manuscript 59678), [England: s.n.], folio 35, recto, lines 6–8:

     So hit felle on a tyme kyng Arthur ſeyde vnto Merlion My barownes woll let me haue no reſte but nedis I muſte take a wyff ⁊ I wolde none take but by thy counceile and advice //

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Norman

Proper noun

Arthur m

1. a male given name

Norwegian

Etymology

Borrowed from English in the 19th century.

Proper noun

Arthur m

1. a male given name from English

Portuguese

Proper noun

Arthur m

1. (Brazil) Alternative spelling of Artur
2. (Portugal) Dated spelling of Artur.