Hibernia

English

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin Hibernia, which see.

Pronunciation

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

Proper noun

Hibernia

1. (poetic) an island and country in northwestern Europe.

   Synonym: Erin

2. A female personification of Ireland.

   Synonym: Erin

Derived terms

• Hibernian

Latin

Alternative forms

• Īvernia
• Ī̆uverna
• Ibernia (Medieval Latin)

Etymology

Earlier Īvernia, borrowed from Ancient Greek Ἰ̄έρνη (Īérnē), Ἰ̄ουερνία (Īouernía), Ἱ̄βερνία (Hībernía), borrowed from Primitive Irish *Īweriū and its genitive *Īweriyonah (whence probably Irish Éire), from Proto-Celtic *Φīweriyū.

Initial H due to the influence of hībernus (“wintry”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [hiːˈbɛr.ni.a], [hɪˈbɛr.ni.a]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [iˈbɛr.ni.a]

Proper noun

Hī̆bernia f sg (genitive Hī̆berniae); first declension

1. (historical) Ireland (an island and country in northwestern Europe)

Declension

First-declension noun, with locative, singular only.

	singular
nominative	Hī̆bernia
genitive	Hī̆berniae
dative	Hī̆berniae
accusative	Hī̆berniam
ablative	Hī̆berniā
vocative	Hī̆bernia
locative	Hī̆berniae

Related terms

• Hīvernē
• Hȳberna
• Hȳbernē
• Īerna
• Īernē
• Īernus
• Īverna
• Īvernē

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