heredium

Latin

Etymology

From heres (“heir”) + -ium (“forming neuter nouns”). Its use as a unit of area derives from an early land reform which bequeathed 2 jugers of land to each Roman citizen as heritable property.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /heːˈreː.di.um/, [heːˈreːd̪iʊ̃ˑ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /eˈre.di.um/, [eˈrɛːd̪ium]

Noun

hērēdium n (genitive hērēdiī or hērēdī); second declension

1. a hereditary estate
2. (historical units of measure) A former Roman unit of area (approximately 1¼ acres or ½ hectare).

Declension

Second-declension noun (neuter).

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	hērēdium	hērēdia
Genitive	hērēdiī hērēdī1	hērēdiōrum
Dative	hērēdiō	hērēdiīs
Accusative	hērēdium	hērēdia
Ablative	hērēdiō	hērēdiīs
Vocative	hērēdium	hērēdia

¹Found in older Latin (until the Augustan Age).

Meronyms

• decempeda (¹⁄₅₇₆ heredium); clima (¹⁄₁₆ heredium); actus (¹⁄₄ heredium); iugerum (¹⁄₂ heredium); centuria (100 heredia); saltus (400 heredia)