[ˈka.nɪs], [ˈkaː.nis]
OrigoFrom earlier canēs. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwṓ, *ḱun- (“dog”), from earlier *ḱwón-s, whence also Ancient Greek κύων (kúōn), Sanskrit श्वन् (śván), though the expected outcome was formally much altered.
The -a- gained a number of ad hoc explanations, such as a shift of *-wo- to *-wa- in open syllables, or of *-n̥- to -an- before vowels. The initial unrounded c- must have been levelled early into the rest of the inflection from the expected nominative outcome *cō, as *ḱw- would have regularly delabialised before a rounded vowel.
- declension-3, feminine, masculinea dog, a hound (animal)
“Petronius
Cave canem.” — Beware of the dog.
- declension-3, feminine, masculinea ‘dog’ constellation or ‘dog’ star: either Canis Major, its brightest star Sirius; or Canis Minor, its brightest star Procyon
“‘est Canis, Īcarium dīcunt, quō sīdere mōtō
tosta sitit tellūs, praecipiturque seges’
‘‘There is a Dog – they say [of?] Icarius – a star (or constellation), [and] where it has moved, the earth thirsts” — (Maera (hound) found the body of Icarius (Athenian) and became the constellation Canis Minor with the bright ‘‘dog’’ star Procyon; it, along with Canis Major, the other celestial dog with its brighter
- declension-3, feminine, masculinea dog, a hound, a bounder, a blackguard, a cad, a heel (foul person)
- declension-3, feminine, masculinea dog, a creature (human parasite or follower who depends on someone with great power and resources and bends to their will)
- declension-3, feminine, masculinea tiger, a dragon, a savage (a fierce or enraged person)
- declension-3, feminine, masculinethe lowest, worst throw at the dice, an ace
“Talis enim iactatis, ut quisque canem aut senionem miserat, in singulos talos singulos denarios in medium conferebat, quos tollebat uniuersos, qui Venerem iecerat” — When the tali (oblong dice) would be thrown, those who had gotten an ace or a six had to place a denarius in the middle of the table for each die thrown, the one that would achieve in getting a Venus
- ablative, dative, feminine, form-of, masculinedative/ablative masculine/feminine/neuter plural of cānus
- active, form-of, indicative, present, second-personsecond-person singular present active indicative of canō
- declension-3, masculine, singulara river in Arabia, mentioned by Pliny
Formaecanis(genitive) · canis(nominative, singular) · canēs(nominative, plural) · canis(genitive, singular) · canum(genitive, plural) · canī(dative, singular) · canibus(dative, plural) · canem(accusative, singular) · canēs(accusative, plural) · cane(ablative, singular) · canibus(ablative, plural) · canis(singular, vocative) · canēs(plural, vocative) · canēs(alternative) · cānīs(canonical) · Canis(genitive) · Canis(nominative, singular) · Canis(genitive, singular) · Canī(dative, singular) · Canem(accusative, singular)