Referring to:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/LearningLatin/posts/25996390219952714
[i] In his post,
Bert uses the noun lēgifer: law-giver
Ō Emmanuel, Rēx et
lēgifer noster, exspectātiō gentium, et Salvātor eārum: venī ad
salvandum nōs Domine Deus noster
O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, the Expected of the Nations and
their Saviour, come to save us, O Lord our God.
[ii] This belongs
to a group of compound nouns and adjectives i.e. comprising two parts,
the second part being the suffix -fer: -bringing; -bearing; -carrying;
the verb: ferō, ferre (bring)
[iii] They are
formed as follows:
noun / adjective +
-fer
A final stem vowel
of the first part of the compound usually inserts /i/ before a consonant.
frūct¦us, -ūs
[4/m]: fruit + -fer > frūct-i-fer, -a, -um: fruitful; bearing fruit
Pōma dēcerpuntur ā
frūctiferīs arboribus. │ Fruits are plucked from fruit-bearing
trees.
ānxius, -a, -um + -fer > ānxifer, -a, -um: distressing; bringing anxiety
(1) All the nouns,
regardless of their original gender, will be 2nd declension
masculine when -fer is added.
aquila, -ae [1/f]:
eagle + -fer > aquil-i-fer, -ī [2/m]:
standard-bearer i.e. the officer who carries the eagle (aquila) standard
of the legion
(2) 3rd
declension nouns such as lēx which have a stem change in the genitive
singular will retain that change:
lēx, lēgis [3/f]: + -fer > lēgifer, -ī [2/m]: law-maker
pāx, pācis
[3/f]: peace + -fer > pācifer, -a, -um: peaceful;
peace-bringing
[iv] Some may act both
as (1) masculine 2nd declension nouns referring to the person
bringing / carrying, or (2) as adjectives referring to what something produces
lēgifer, -ī [2/m]:
law-maker [a ‘bringer’ of the law]
lēgifer, -a, -um:
law-giving
[v] Further examples:
signifer, -ī
[2/m]: standard-bearer
crux, crucis [3/f]: wooden frame on which criminals were executed;
cross > crucifer, -ī [2/m]: cross-bearer i.e. Jesus; in Mediaeval
Latin it also refers to a crusader
And possibly the
most well-known one:
lūx, lūcis [3/f]: light > Lūcifer, -ī: Lucifer (the
bringer of light)
Most of the compounds are adjectives:
frūx, frūgis [3/f]: fruit; crop > frūgifer, -a, -um:
fruitful
herbifer, -a, -um:
producing grass; grassy
lactifer, -a, -um:
producing milk
ignifer, -a, -um: fiery; fire-bearing
pestifer, -a, -um: bringing pestilence / disease
pōmifer, -a, -um: fruit-bearing
spūmifer, -a, -um: foaming e.g. to describe waves
umbrifer, -a, -um:
shade-giving
One that you may have in your garden:
cōnus, -ī [2/m]: cone > cōnifer, -a, -um: bearing cones > Engl. deriv.
conifer
[vi] The suffix -ger also has the same meaning of carrying / bearing
although it occurs more rarely, but here are a couple:
lāna, -ae [1/f]: wool
lān-i-ger, -a, -um: wool-bearing
> noun: lāniger, -ī [2/m]: ram (animal)
arma, -ōrum [2/n/pl]: arms; weapons
> armiger, -ī [2/m]: weapon-bearer
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