Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

paterfamilias

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.65 in modern English

Syllables
pa-ter-fa-mil-ias
IPA
20
Scrabble Score
13
Letters
5
Syllables
10
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A man who is the head of a household, family or tribe.

Etymology

(c. 1425 to 1475) From late Middle English paterfamilias, from Latin pater familiās. From Latin pater (“father”) + familiās, archaic genitive of familia (“family; household”). Literally, "father of the family" or "father of the household".

Origin

Word Breakdown

Inflected Forms

paterfamiliases (plural) patresfamilias (plural) pater familias (alternative)

Frequently Paired Words

materfamilias

Synonyms

patriarch

Questions

What does paterfamilias mean?
A man who is the head of a household, family or tribe.
Where does paterfamilias come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce paterfamilias

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “paterfamilias”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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  4. Repeat and practice — Say “paterfamilias” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.