Latin

Alternative forms

• vet. abbreviation

Adjective

vetus m, f, n ‎(genitive veteris, comparative vetustior or veterior, superlative vetustissimus or veterrimus); third declension

1. old, aged, ancient
2. long-standing
3. former, previous
   • 27 BCE – 25 BCE, Titus Livius, Ab urbe condita libri 26.1

     Ea tum cura maxime intentos habebat Romanos, non ab ira tantum, quae in nullam unquam ciuitatem iustior fuit, quam quod urbs tam nobilis ac potens, sicut defectione sua traxerat aliquot populos, ita recepta inclinatura rursus animos uidebatur ad ueteris imperii respectum.

     This concern in particular troubled the mindful Romans at the time, not so much because of anger, which has never been more justified against any other city, rather because a city so noble and powerful, in the same way that it had attracted the support of a number of communities by its revolt, was thought would again turn attention back towards respect for the previous government once recaptured.

Inflection

Third declension, non-i-stem (genitive plural in -um).

• comparative: vetustior (classical), veterior, superlative: vetustissimus (classical), veterrimus

Synonyms

• (old, aged): senex

Derived terms

Related terms

• vetula

Descendants

• Albanian: vjetër from vjet, vit year
• English: veteran
• French: vétéran (borrowing)
• Italian: vieto, vetere
• Old French: viez
• Old Portuguese: vedro
• Portuguese: velho, veterano
• Romanian: biet
• Spanish: viejo

References

• vetus in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• vetus in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• VETUS in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
• Félix Gaffiot (1934), “vetus”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette.
• Meissner, Carl; Auden, Henry William (1894) Latin Phrase-Book, London: Macmillan and Co.
  • to study historical records, read history: evolvere historias, litterarum (veterum annalium) monumenta
    
  • ancient history: rerum veterum memoria
    
  • ancient history: memoria vetus (Or. 34. 120)
    
  • ancient history: veterum annales
    
  • ancient history: veterum annalium monumenta
    
  • it was said long ago that..: vetus (verbum) est (c. Acc. c. Inf.)
    
  • we have known each other well for several years: vetus usus inter nos intercedit
    
  • veterans; experienced troops: vetus miles, veteranus miles
    
  • (ambiguous) an old proverb tells us not to..: vetamur vetere proverbio
    
  • (ambiguous) to give up old customs: a vetere consuetudine discedere
    
• vetus in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898) Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• vetus in William Smith, editor (1848) A Dictionary of Greek Biography and Mythology, London: John Murray
• Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Latin and the development of the Romance languages: The postclassical period, Vulgar Latin, 2007.