aegis

Etymology

A tondo with a Roman mosaic from the 3rd century C.E. depicting Athena and her aegis (sense 1), in the pavement of the Sala a Croce Greca in the Vatican Museums, Vatican City

Borrowed from Latin aegis, from Ancient Greek αἰγίς (aigís, “goatskin; shield of Athena”), probably from αἴξ (aíx, “goat”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eyǵ- (“goat”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /ˈiːdʒɪs/
• Hyphenation: ae‧gis

Noun

aegis (plural aegises or aegides)

1. (Greek mythology, Roman mythology) A mythological shield associated with the Greek deities Zeus and Athena (and their Roman counterparts Jupiter and Minerva) shown as a short cloak made of goatskin worn on the shoulders, more as an emblem of power and protection than a military shield. The aegis of Athena or Minerva is usually shown with a border of snakes and with the head of Medusa in the center. [from early 17th c.]
2. (figuratively) Usually as under the aegis: guidance, protection; endorsement, sponsorship.

Further reading

• aegis on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• aegis (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• Saige

Alternative forms

• ægis

Etymology

From the Ancient Greek αἰγῐ́ς (aigís).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈae̯.ɡis/, [ˈae̯.ɡɪs]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈɛ.d͡ʒis/, [ˈɛː.d͡ʒis]

Noun

aegis f (genitive aegidos or aegidis); third declension

1. the aegis
   1. of Zeus or Jupiter
      • (Can we find and add a quotation of Virgil to this entry?)
      • (Can we find and add a quotation of Silius Italicus to this entry?)
   2. of Athena or Minerva
      • (Can we find and add a quotation of Virgil to this entry?)
      • (Can we find and add a quotation of Horace to this entry?)
      • (Can we find and add a quotation of Ovid to this entry?)
2. (transferred senses):
   1. a shield, a defence
      1. (in the writings of Ovid) the jewelry by which maidens try to conceal their ugliness
         • (Can we find and add a quotation of Ovid to this entry?)
   2. the heartwood of the larch
      • (Can we find and add a quotation of Pliny the Elder to this entry?)

References

• aegis in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• aegis in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• ægis in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Hachette, page 72/1
• aegis in The Perseus Project (1999) Perseus Encyclopedia‎
• aegis in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898) Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• aegis in William Smith et al., editor (1890) A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin
• “aegis” on page 63/1 of the Oxford Latin Dictionary (1st ed., 1968–82)