luteus

Latin

Etymology 1

From lūtum (“weld, dyers' weed, Reseda luteola”).

It was by Roman philosophers etymologized as coming from dīlūtus (“washed out”), which drove their understanding of it as an abstract, red-allied color in the middle of the visible spectrum, as seen on the rainbow.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈɫuː.te.ʊs]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈluː.te.us]

Adjective

lūteus (feminine lūtea, neuter lūteum); first/second-declension adjective

1. yellow, lemon yellow, bright yellow, pallid yellow (as if dyed with weld)

   Synonym: lūridus

2. saffron-colored

   Synonym: croceus

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

	singular				plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	lūteus	lūtea	lūteum		lūteī	lūteae	lūtea
genitive	lūteī	lūteae	lūteī		lūteōrum	lūteārum	lūteōrum
dative	lūteō	lūteae	lūteō		lūteīs
accusative	lūteum	lūteam	lūteum		lūteōs	lūteās	lūtea
ablative	lūteō	lūteā	lūteō		lūteīs
vocative	lūtee	lūtea	lūteum		lūteī	lūteae	lūtea

See also

Colors in Latin · colōrēs (layout · text)

albus, candidus, cānus, marmoreus (poetic), eburneus (poetic), niveus (poetic), argenteus (poetic), lacteus (poetic)	rāvus, pullus, mūrīnus (of livestock)	niger, āter, furvus, fuscus ("swarthy"), piceus (poetic)
ruber, russus, rūbidus (dark), flammeus (poetic); rutilus, pūniceus, spādīx (poetic), sanguineus (poetic)	rūfus, rutilus, rōbus (of oxen), croceus (poetic), aureus (poetic); fulvus (poetic), niger (of eyes), badius (of horses)	lūteus, flāvus ("blond"), lūridus, gilvus (of horses), helvus (of cattle); cēreus (poetic)
viridis, flāvus (poetic)	viridis, herbeus (of eyes), fulvus (poetic)	viridis, glaucus (poetic), caeruleus (poetic, only dark)
	glaucus (poetic), caeruleus, caesius (of eyes)	caeruleus, līvidus, ferrūgineus (poetic), glaucus (poetic)
violāceus	purpureus (underlying shade)	roseus

Etymology 2

From lutum (“mud, dirt, clay”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈɫʊ.te.ʊs]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈluː.te.us]

Adjective

luteus (feminine lutea, neuter luteum); first/second-declension adjective

1. of mud; of clay
2. dirty
3. corrupt

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

	singular				plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	luteus	lutea	luteum		luteī	luteae	lutea
genitive	luteī	luteae	luteī		luteōrum	luteārum	luteōrum
dative	luteō	luteae	luteō		luteīs
accusative	luteum	luteam	luteum		luteōs	luteās	lutea
ablative	luteō	luteā	luteō		luteīs
vocative	lutee	lutea	luteum		luteī	luteae	lutea

Descendants

• Galician: louza (or rather from lautus)
• Portuguese: louça (or rather from lautus)
• Spanish: loza (or rather from lautus)
• → Albanian: llucë

References

• “luteus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “luteus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• "luteus", 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)
• “luteus”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.