Alanus

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /aˈlaː.nus/, [äˈɫ̪äːnʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /aˈla.nus/, [äˈläːnus]

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Ancient Greek Ἀλᾱνός (Alānós), Ἀλᾱνοί (Alānoí). Perhaps renewed in Late Latin, especially in Spain in the meaning "dog breed", as a Migration Period Wanderwort, e.g. via Gothic *𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌽𐍃 (*alans).

Alternative forms

• Halānus, Alaunus

Adjective

Alānus (feminine Alāna, neuter Alānum); first/second-declension adjective

1. of or pertaining to the Alan tribe

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

Number	Singular				Plural
Case / Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	Alānus	Alāna	Alānum		Alānī	Alānae	Alāna
Genitive	Alānī	Alānae	Alānī		Alānōrum	Alānārum	Alānōrum
Dative	Alānō		Alānō		Alānīs
Accusative	Alānum	Alānam	Alānum		Alānōs	Alānās	Alāna
Ablative	Alānō	Alānā	Alānō		Alānīs
Vocative	Alāne	Alāna	Alānum		Alānī	Alānae	Alāna

Noun

Alānus m (genitive Alānī, feminine Alāna); second declension

1. Alan (a member of the Alan tribe)
2. (Medieval Latin) alaunt (an extinct hunting dog breed related to the modern bulldog and mastiff)

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

Number	Singular			Plural
Case / Gender	Masculine	Feminine		Masculine	Feminine
Nominative	Alānus	Alāna		Alānī	Alānae
Genitive	Alānī	Alānae		Alānōrum	Alānārum
Dative	Alānō			Alānīs	Alānīs
Accusative	Alānum	Alānam		Alānōs	Alānās
Ablative	Alānō	Alānā		Alānīs	Alānīs
Vocative	Alāne	Alāna		Alānī	Alānae

Related terms

• Alānia

Descendants

Note: none are likely to be directly inherited.

• →? Old Breton: Ala
  • → English: Alan
  • → French: Alain
• →? Gothic: *𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌽𐍃 (*alans)
  • → Old Spanish: alan (“a dog breed”)
    • Spanish: alano
    • → Old Occitan: alan
      • Catalan: alà
    • → Galician: alán
    • → Old French: alans, alanz
      • French: alain, alan
      • → English: alaunt, alan, alant
    • → Italian: alano
    • → Portuguese: alão
• → Catalan: alà (learned)
• → Galician: alano (learned)
• → English: Alan (learned)
• → French: alain (learned)
• → Italian: alano (learned)
• → Portuguese: alano (learned)
• → Spanish: alano (learned)

Etymology 2

Unclear origin. Perhaps Latinization of a Celtic name such as Old Breton Alan, belonging to several Breton saints and borrowed as English Alan and French Alain. This could be connected with Irish ail (“noble”), or else has been borrowed by Breton from the word under Etymology 1.

Proper noun

Alānus m (genitive Alānī, feminine Alana); second declension

1. (Medieval Latin) a male given name, equivalent to English Alan

Declension

Second-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	Alānus	Alānī
Genitive	Alānī	Alānōrum
Dative	Alānō	Alānīs
Accusative	Alānum	Alānōs
Ablative	Alānō	Alānīs
Vocative	Alāne	Alānī

References

• Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002) “*alanus”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, volumes 24: Refonte A–Aorte, page 289
• “Alanus”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Further reading

• “Alanus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• Alanus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Alanus 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)