# -eius
## Latin
### Alternative forms

* -ejus, -eiius, -eijus (orthographic)

### Etymology 1

By analogy with nomina gentilicia of Oscan or perhaps Etruscan origin, such as Pompeius (from 𐌐𐌖𐌌𐌐𐌄 (pumpe, “five”)), Tarpeius, Saufeius. Difficult to distinguish from Etymology 2. Gentilics ending in -eius may have originated from a Faliscan variant of this suffix, whereas -aius (as in Anaius, Popaius, Ulaius) may go back to Oscan, and -aeus (as in Annaeus) to Paelignian and Umbrian.

#### Pronunciation

* (Classical Latin) IPA: /ˈei̯.i̯us/, [ˈɛi̯ːʊs̠]
* (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA: /ˈe.jus/, [ˈɛːjus]
* Note: although the syllable is heavy due to the regularly geminate intervocalic /j/, the vowel is thought to have been short on etymological grounds.

#### Suffix

-eius (feminine -eia, neuter -eium); first/second-declension suffix
* forms nomina gentilicia
    ‎Elatus → ‎Elateius
    ‎Proculus → ‎Proculeius

##### Usage notes

* This suffix was also used to form humorous words such as sterteia (“one who snores”) from stertō (“snore”) by Petronius and sterceia (“a maidservant who cleans the excrement of children”) from stercus (“dung, manure”) by Tertullian.

##### Declension

First/second-declension adjective.
The Masculine Singular Vocative is monosyllabic.

##### Derived terms

* -uleius

### Etymology 2

Derived adjectives from nouns and names with an -ē stem with the suffix -ius (such as plēbēius (“of the common people”) from plēbēs (“the common people”), an archaic form of plēbs). Difficult to distinguish from Etymology 1.

#### Pronunciation

* (Classical Latin) IPA: /ˈeː.i̯us/, [ˈeːi̯ʊs̠]
* (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA: /ˈe.jus/, [ˈɛːjus]
* Note: the vowel is thought to have been long on etymological grounds.

#### Suffix

-ēius (feminine -ēia, neuter -ēium); first/second-declension suffix
* forms adjectives from nouns and proper names
    ‎pāgus + ‎-ēius → ‎pāgēius

##### Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

### Etymology 3

From Ancient Greek adjectives in -ήϊος (-ḗïos), Epic form of Attic -εῖος (-eîos). Perhaps more properly considered a poetically variant scansion of the suffixes under Etymology 1 and 2, modelled on the corresponding situation in Greek.

#### Pronunciation

* (Classical Latin) IPA: /ˈeː.i.us/, [ˈeːiʊs̠]
* (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA: /ˈe.i.us/, [ˈɛːius]
* Note: this suffix is trisyllabic.

#### Suffix

-ēïus (feminine -ēïa, neuter -ēïum); first/second-declension suffix
* (literary, poetic) Forms adjectives, chiefly from Ancient Greek nouns, but occasionally from native ones as well
    ‎Ancient Greek φῠ́λλος (phŭ́llos, “leaf”) → ‎Phyllēïus (corresponding to Φῠλλήϊος (Phŭllḗïos))
    ‎Ancient Greek Πρῐ́ᾱπος (Prĭ́āpos) → ‎Priāpēïus (corresponding to Πρῐᾱπήϊος (Prĭāpḗïos))
    ‎Tiberius → ‎Tiberēïus

##### Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

### References

* ↑ Leumann, Manu, Hofmann, Johann Baptist, Szantyr, Anton (1977) “-eius -eia”, in Lateinische Grammatik: Lateinische Laut- und Formenlehre, CH Beck, page 289
* ↑ Chase, George Davis (1897) “The Origin of Roman Praenomina”, in Harvard Studies in Classical Philology, volume 8, page 120
* ↑ Leumann, Manu, Hofmann, Johann Baptist, Szantyr, Anton (1977) “325: Dekl. Sing. Vokativ”, in Lateinische Grammatik: Lateinische Laut- und Formenlehre, CH Beck, page 424