maior

See also: maiôr

Galician

Etymology

From Latin māior, māiōrem.

Adjective

maior m, f (plural maiores)

1. major, greater
2. (music) major

Antonyms

• (major, greater): menor
• (music): menor

Related terms

• maioría

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Latin

Alternative forms

• major
• maiior

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *magjōs, from Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂yōs‎, from *meǵh₂- (“great”) + *-yōs (comparative suffix).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈmaj.jor/, [ˈmaj.jɔr]

Adjective

maior (neuter maius); third declension

1. greater, larger

Inflection

Third declension, comparative variant

Number	Singular			Plural
Case / Gender	Masc./Fem.	Neuter		Masc./Fem.	Neuter
Nominative	māior	māius		māiōrēs	māiōra
Genitive	māiōris			māiōrum
Dative	māiōrī			māiōribus
Accusative	māiōrem	māius		māiōrēs	māiōra
Ablative	māiōre			māiōribus
Vocative	māior	māius		māiōrēs	māiōra

Derived terms

• maiestās
• maiusculus

Antonyms

• minor

Descendants

• Asturian: mayor
• Catalan: major
• Dalmatian: maur
• Dutch: meier
• English: mayor
• French: major, majeur, maire, majorer
  • English: major, majorate
  • Portuguese: major, majorar
• Friulian: maiôr, majôr
• Galician: maior
• German: Meier
• Istriot: maiur

• Italian: maggiore, maggiorare
• Ladin: majer
• Mozarabic: mayóre, móre
• Norman: maire
• Occitan: major, màger
• Old Irish: maer
  • Irish: maor
• Portuguese: mor, maior
• Romanian: maior
• Sardinian: magiori
• Scots: mair
• Sicilian: maggiuri, majuri
• Spanish: mayor, mayorar
• Venetian: maxor

See also

• magnus

Noun

maior m (genitive maiōris); third declension

1. ancestors (in plural)

   Ergo illum, qui haec fecerat, Rudinum hominem, maiores nostri in civitatem receperunt.

   Therefore Ennius, who composed these poems, although a man from Rudiae, our ancestors granted him citizenship.

   - Cicero: Pro Archia Poeta Oratio (Line 284)

2. (medieval) a mayor: a leader of a city or town

Inflection

Third declension.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	maior	maiōrēs
Genitive	maiōris	maiōrum
Dative	maiōrī	maiōribus
Accusative	maiōrem	maiōrēs
Ablative	maiōre	maiōribus
Vocative	maior	maiōrēs

References

• maior in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• maior in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• maior in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Hachette
• Carl Meissner; Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • the elde: maior (natu)
    
  • the majority: maior pars
    
  • (ambiguous) to exaggerate a thing: in maius ferre, in maius extollere aliquid
    
  • (ambiguous) to overestimate a thing: in maius accipere aliquid
    
  • (ambiguous) to deteriorate: a maiorum virtute desciscere, degenerare, deflectere
    
  • (ambiguous) according to the custom and tradition of my fathers: more institutoque maiorum (Mur. 1. 1)
    
  • (ambiguous) what is more important: quod maius est
    
• maior in Ramminger, Johann (accessed 16 July 2016) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎^[2], pre-publication website, 2005-2016
• maior in William Smith, editor (1848) A Dictionary of Greek Biography and Mythology, London: John Murray

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Old French

Alternative forms

• major
• majour
• majur
• maor

Etymology

Latin maior.

Adjective

maior (oblique singular, nominative singular maire)

1. bigger; larger
2. very large

References

• Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l'ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IX^e au XV^e siècle (1881) (maior)
• maiur on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub

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Portuguese

Alternative forms

• mayor (obsolete)

Etymology

From Old Portuguese maior, mayor, from Latin māior, māiōrem, from Proto-Indo-European *mag- (“great”) + *-yos (comparative suffix).

Pronunciation

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /mɐjˈɔɾ/
• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /majˈɔɾ/
• Hyphenation: mai‧or
• Rhymes: -ɔɾ

Adjective

maior (plural maiores, comparable)

1. (followed by que) comparative degree of grande; bigger, larger

   Melancias são maiores que laranjas.

   Watermelons are bigger than oranges.

   Antonym: menor

2. (preceded by a definite article) superlative degree of grande; biggest, largest

   Júpiter é o maior planeta do Sistema Solar.

   Jupiter is the largest planet in the Solar System.

   Antonym: menor

3. major, greater

   um desafio maior

   a major challenge

   Antonym: menor

4. (music) major

   Antonym: menor

5. (Brazil, informal) big, great

   Ele é maior idiota...

   He is a big idiot

   Synonym: mó

Adverb

maior (comparative mais maior superlative o mais maior)

1. (Brazil, informal) very, quite

   Synonyms: bem, bastante, mó

   Essa comida comida tem um gosto maior ruim.

   That food tastes very bad.