English
Ignatius
Ignatius comes from Latin Ignātius, from ignis ‘fire’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁engʷ- ‘to burn’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁engʷ-‘to burn’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁n̥gʷnís‘fire’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEignis‘fire’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEIgnātius
- Englishearliest quotation 2012Ignatius
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁engʷ-‘to burn’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁n̥gʷnís‘fire’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEignis‘fire’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEIgnātius
- Englishearliest quotation 2012Ignatius
Earliest quotation: 2012, Gloria Cook, Sutton: “‘[…] How about Ignatius?’ Verity had got the giggles.…”
The story
From Latin Ignātius, variant of gens name Egnātius, altered to resemble ignis (‘fire’), establishing a folk etymology meaning akin to “Fiery One”.folk etymology The source marks this as unproven or a folk etymology. Quoted, not asserted. Of uncertain origin, perhaps originally borrowed from Etruscan.uncertain The source flags this step as uncertain. It might be related to Ancient Greek ἴγνης (ígnēs, “indigene”), ἴγνητος (ígnētos), from *ἔν-γνη-τες (*én-gnē-tes), formed from έν (én) + Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- (‘to give birth, produce’), also seen in γίγνομαι (gígnomai, “to come into being”).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₁engʷ- ‘to burn’
through Latin ignis ‘fire’
Today it means
name A male given name from Latin; of mostly Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox usage in English.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₁engʷ- / Ignatius