Hibernia

English

Etymology

From Latin Hibernia, from Ancient Greek Ἰέρνη (Iérnē), Ἰουερνία (Iouernía), Ἱβερνία (Hibernía).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /haɪˈbɜː(ɹ)nɪə/, /hɪˈbɜː(ɹ)nɪə/

Proper noun

Hibernia

1. (poetic) The island of Ireland.
2. A female personification of Ireland.

Derived terms

• Hibernian

Latin

Alternative forms

• Īvernia
• Ibernia (medieval)

Etymology

Earlier Īvernia, borrowed from Ancient Greek Ἰ̄έρνη (Īérnē), Ἰ̄ουερνία (Īouernía), Ἱ̄βερνία (Hībernía), from Primitive Irish [script needed] (*īweriū) (whence Irish Éire), from Proto-Celtic *Φīweryū, from Proto-Indo-European *Pih₂weryō, likely related to Proto-Indo-European *péyh₂wr̥ (“fat”), from *peyH- (“fat”).

Influenced in form by hībernus (“wintry”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /hiːˈber.ni.a/, [hiːˈbɛrniä] or IPA^(key): /hiˈber.ni.a/, [hɪˈbɛrniä]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /iˈber.ni.a/, [iˈbɛrniä]

Proper noun

Hī̆bernia f sg (genitive Hī̆berniae); first declension

1. (historical geography) Ireland

Declension

First-declension noun, singular only.

Case	Singular
Nominative	Hī̆bernia
Genitive	Hī̆berniae
Dative	Hī̆berniae
Accusative	Hī̆berniam
Ablative	Hī̆berniā
Vocative	Hī̆bernia

References

• “Hibernia”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• Hibernia in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette
• “Hibernia”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898) Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “Hibernia”, in William Smith, editor (1854, 1857) A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography, volume 1 & 2, London: Walton and Maberly