angustus

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *h₂enǵʰ- (“narrow, tight”) via a neuter s-stem noun *h₂enǵʰ-os (“narrowness”)^[1]^[2] combined with the adjective-forming suffix *-tós (equivalent to -tus). Comparative data does not establish when the adjective was derived, but its form would hypothetically correspond to *h₂enǵʰostos in Proto-Indo-European and to *angostos in Proto-Italic or Pre-Latin: this became angustus by the Latin sound change of vowel reduction, which replaced *o with /u/ in non-initial closed syllables. The neuter s-stem noun (Proto-Indo-European *h₂enǵʰ-os, Proto-Italic *angos) would have evolved regularly in Classical Latin to *angus, *angeris if it had survived. Another word potentially derived from this noun is the name of the goddess Angerōna.^[3]

The root is also found in Latin angō and angor, and in German eng, Sanskrit अंहु (áṃhu), Old Church Slavonic ѫзъкъ (ǫzŭkŭ).

For the ending, compare onustus, venustus.

Pronunciation

(Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [aŋˈɡʊs.tʊs]
(modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [aŋˈɡus.t̪us]

Adjective

angustus (feminine angusta, neuter angustum, comparative angustior, superlative angustissimus); first/second-declension adjective

narrow, strait (especially of local relations)
close, contracted, constricted, small, not spacious
(figuratively) short, brief
- 8 CE – 12 CE, Ovid, Sorrows 5:
  Efficit angustos nec mihi bruma dies.
  Winter does not make the days short (for me).

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

	masculine	feminine	neuter	masculine	feminine	neuter
	singular			plural
nominative	angustus	angusta	angustum	angustī	angustae	angusta
genitive	angustī	angustae	angustī	angustōrum	angustārum	angustōrum
dative	angustō	angustae	angustō	angustīs
accusative	angustum	angustam	angustum	angustōs	angustās	angusta
ablative	angustō	angustā	angustō	angustīs
vocative	anguste	angusta	angustum	angustī	angustae	angusta

Synonyms

artus, brevis, contractus

Antonyms

lātus

Derived terms

Related terms

Descendants

Balkano-Romance:
- Aromanian: ngustu
- Romanian: îngust
- → Albanian: ngushtë
Italo-Romance:
- >? Italian: angusto
Gallo-Romance:
- Gascon: engous
- Occitan: angost
Ibero-Romance:
- Old Galician-Portuguese: angosto
  - Galician: angosto
- Spanish: angosto
Borrowings:
- → English: angust
- → French: anguste
- → Portuguese: angusto

References

^ De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “angō”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 42
^ Sihler, Andrew L. (1995) New Comparative Grammar of Greek and Latin, Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 62
^ Wagenvoort, H. (1980) “Diva Angerona”, in Pietas: Selected Studies in Roman Religion, Leiden: E.J. Brill, page 23