mirus
The English word 'weird' is translated into Latin as mirus.
mirus is used to describe something that deviates from the normal or is bizarre. Unlike the modern English sense of 'weird', which is often purely negative, mirus can also imply that something is wonderful, amazing or marvelous.
Meaning: deviating from the normal, bizarre (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective mirus must agree in gender with the noun it modifies. While mirus is the masculine form, you should use mira for feminine nouns and mirum for neuter nouns to express the sense of wonderful, strange or weird.
Did you know?
- The word mirus is an unexpected distant relative of the English word 'smile'.
- Because mirus can mean both 'strange' and 'wonderful', a Roman could use the same word to describe a terrifying monster and a beautiful miracle.
- The English word 'weird' comes from the Old English 'wyrd', which meant 'fate' or 'destiny', a completely different origin than the Latin mirus.
Examples in context
- Arcanus videturIt seems weird/mysterious
- Hoc est anomaliaThis is weird/anomalous
- Est homo insolitusHe is a weird guy
- Id est inusitatumThat's weird/out of the ordinary
Example conversation
Lucius and Julia are looking at a strange sculpture.
- LuciusQuid putas de hac statua, Iulia?What do you think of this statue, Julia?
- JuliaPutō hanc statuam esse mirum opus.I think this statue is a weird work.
- LuciusIta est, forma eius mira est.It is true, its shape is weird.
- JuliaNon intellego cur artifex id fecit.I do not understand why the artist made it.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mirus, CC BY-SA 4.0.
