astus

== Estonian == === Verb === astus Third-person singular past form of astuma. == Latin == === Etymology === Of uncertain origin. Suggestions include: from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd-*sth₂u- (“a standing by”), from *steh₂-, thus formed to astō (“to stand by”) like the verb praestō to the adverb of the same form, with a by-form praestū. In this case the full nominal declension is secondary; from Ancient Greek ἄστυ (ástu), from the common characterization of city-dwellers as more intelligent, also seen in urbānus; however, in the latter this appears to be a Late Republican development. from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱst-, Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- (“sharp”) - compare Lithuanian aksti̇̀s, Latvian aksts (“prickle, sharp point”), Proto-Celtic *akstīno- (“furze, gorse”). In this case, the Proto-Italic form would be *akstus. A long vowel is once attested for ā̆stūtia, which would be unexpected but paralleled by ācer. Attested since Plautus (second half of the 3d century BCE). === Pronunciation === (Classical Latin) IPA(key): [ˈaːs.tʊs], [ˈas.tʊs] (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): [ˈas.tus] === Noun === ā̆stus m (genitive ā̆stūs); fourth declension (usually in the ablative) (by) craft, cunning, guile (with a positive or negative connotation) (usually in the plural) tricks, stratagems ==== Usage notes ==== The ablative singular astū is the only form used from Old Latin up through Ovid. ==== Declension ==== Fourth-declension noun. ==== Synonyms ==== dolus calliditās ==== Derived terms ==== ā̆stūtus ā̆stūtia ==== See also ==== astū === References === === Further reading === “astus” on page 212 of the Oxford Latin Dictionary (2nd ed., 2012) “astus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press “astus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers "astus", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887) “astus”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.